The Karnataka government has uncovered widespread irregularities and inflated costing in development projects worth nearly Rs 600 crore under the Department of Minority Welfare, Haj, and Wakf. This has triggered an administrative shake-up over the alleged assignment of a key technical oversight role to an unqualified official.
Discrepancies in Project Reports
The discrepancies surfaced during the review of detailed project reports (DPRs) prepared for infrastructure development across minority-concentrated areas in the state. Senior officials said several project estimates quoted rates significantly higher than the official Public Works Department schedule of rates, which is the government-mandated benchmark for construction costs.
Unqualified Official in Charge
Syeda Tasmiya Tarannum, assistant executive engineer, was declared ineligible for her post by Shamla Iqbal, secretary of the department of minority welfare, Haj, and Wakf, after a formal notice flagged a mismatch in administrative delegation. Tarannum was relieved from the post after the notice was served.
Tarannum, originally appointed as an electrical engineer with the Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited (KPTCL), was brought into the directorate of minorities on deputation in December 2021. Despite her electrical qualifications, she was given sole responsibility for supervision, inspection, and final certification of civil construction projects, including government student hostels. “How an engineer with electrical qualifications was entrusted with technical inspection and certification of civil engineering works, is a matter of grave concern,” the department noted in its official communication.
Impact on Quality and Costs
Officials said the lack of civil engineers compromised the quality of technical audits and allowed inflated project estimates, risking major losses to the state exchequer. The alleged irregularities were recorded during a specialised consultative committee meeting with subject experts on April 15.
While reviewing active construction estimates, the panel identified widespread discrepancies and inflated costs in multiple DPRs previously approved and certified by Tarannum. Calling the lapse a ‘serious institutional failure,’ the department issued a seven-day ultimatum to Tarannum to submit a formal explanation, failing which disciplinary action under applicable government service rules would be taken.
Investigation Widens
The investigation was expected to widen as investigators examined how the qualification mismatch went unnoticed for over four years and whether high-ranking officials bypassed protocol to assign her to the civil engineering portfolio.
Times of India made efforts to contact Shamla Iqbal, the secretary of the Department of Minority Welfare, Haj, and Wakf, but she was not available to comment.
Political Reaction
“The Congress government used unfit officers to make money in the name of development. Congress is not thinking of the welfare of minorities; the party is using the community only as a vote bank. They misused the grants that were reserved for the minority community,” said Anagawadi Nabi Nadaf, secretary of the BJP state minority wing.
