Contractor suicide: K'ntka Min. Eshwarappa announces resignation

Shivamogga/Karnataka: Karnataka's Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister KS Eshwarappa, who got involved in a controversy after a contractor committed suicide after naming him as responsible, announced his resignation on Thursday, IANS.

"I have worked as the RDPR minister till date under the CM's (Basavraj) Bommai's leadership in the government. I have taken a decision to tender my resignation on Friday evening. I don't want to cause embarrassment to my party and party leadership," he said.

He said he was ready to resign earlier, but his colleagues stopped him. If he is guilty, let the god punish him, he said, adding that he is confident that he would come out clean from all the allegations regarding the contractor suicide case.

On Wednesday, he had said that there was no question of him quitting. He said that he had requested Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai for an investigation, and it would find who was behind the conspiracy plotted against him. "I am not running away anywhere. I will meet CM Bommai tomorrow or the day after. There is no corruption in the RDPR department. Santhosh Patil had not written any death note. The work has to be allotted after the tender process. Without tender, how can a work order be given? Don't Opposition leader Siddaramaiah and State Congress President D.K. Shivakumar know?" he had questioned.

Santhosh K Patil, the contractor, had committed suicide by consuming poison. He held minister Eeshwarappa responsible for his death, alleging that the minister demanded a 40 per cent cut in a Rs 4 crore project to get funds released.

The Opposition Congress had called for an indefinite strike and demanded Eshwarappa's immediate resignation.