Will step down if proven guilty: Housing minister

Housing minister BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan on Tuesday said he would step down from his post if any irregularities were proven against him in connection with alleged bribes for the allotment of houses under the Rajiv Gandhi Housing Corporation Limited in Karnataka's Aland constituency.

- Arun Dev

BENGALURU:

Last week, a leaked audio clip surfaced in which Congress MLA BR Patil, also the deputy chairman of the Karnataka State Policy and Planning Commission, alleged that housing units in his constituency were sanctioned in exchange for bribes. Patil claimed that approximately 950 houses were allotted based on recommendations by a panchayat member, while his own list of beneficiary names was ignored.

Responding to the allegations, Khan on Tuesday asked Patil to reveal who exactly was involved in the wrongdoing. "There should be clarity on who took the bribe. Is it the panchayat member, any officer or the minister?" he asked.

Khan reiterated that he was not directly named in Patil's claims and expressed readiness to face scrutiny. "If anyone took the money, they should be investigated and strict action should be taken against them," he said, adding that a departmental inquiry was already in progress. "I am open to an inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)," he added.