Latest news with #SmartMeterInitiative
India.com
5 days ago
- Business
- India.com
Karnataka Minister KJ George calls IT raids 'routine exercise', refuses link to smart meter contract, says there is no connection...
Karnataka's Minister for Energy KJ George New Delhi: In a major development, Karnataka's Minister for Energy KJ George refuted any connection between recent Income Tax department raids at a prominent tech park in Bengaluru and the state's smart meter initiative or the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM) and said that they were 'a routine regulatory exercise' related to IT filings and had nothing to do with any government project. In a firm statement issued via his official social media handle, the minister termed the allegations circulating in a section of the media as 'completely baseless, misleading, and politically motivated.' 'There is no connection whatsoever between the smart meter project or BESCOM and the Income Tax department's raids,' George said. 'I strongly condemn this attempt to mislead the public and draw false links to the Energy Department.' This comes after the Income Tax Department conducted surveys from July 28 to 30 at multiple locations connected to George and real estate tycoon Jitu Virwani of the Embassy Group, including Golflinks Software Park Private Limited in Bengaluru. KJ George Issues Statement: In view of the misinformation being circulated regarding myself and the companies under my chairmanship, purportedly in connection with the #SmartMeterInitiative and the #EnergyDepartment of the Government of Karnataka, we wish to issue the following clarification: The recent interaction with the #IncomeTax Department was a routine regulatory exercise solely pertaining to the verification of our companies' income tax filings. There is no connection whatsoever to any government project or department, including the #SmartMeter program or the #EnergyDepartment. Our teams extended full cooperation to the authorities during this scheduled compliance review, consistent with our long-standing commitment to transparency and adherence to the law. We categorically reject and strongly refute any speculative or misleading claims suggesting otherwise. We urge all concerned to exercise discretion and refrain from spreading or endorsing baseless allegations. BJP's Allegation: To recall, in March this year, the Bharatiya Janata Party alleged a massive Rs 15,568 crore scam in Karnataka's smart meter procurement process. The saffron camp accused the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government of favouritism and irregularities in the tendering process. Echoing this stance, Golflinks Software Park clarified in an official statement that the survey conducted under Section 133A of the Income Tax Act was routine in nature and 'has no connection to public officials, state government departments, BESCOM contracts, or smart meter-related matters.'
Deccan Herald
6 days ago
- Business
- Deccan Herald
I-T raids at premises linked to minister K J George: GolfLinks denies any connection with smart meter tender
𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐓𝐚𝐱 𝐃𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 In view of the misinformation being circulated regarding myself and the companies under my chairmanship, purportedly in connection with the #SmartMeterInitiative …
India Today
6 days ago
- Business
- India Today
Karnataka Minister says IT raids were routine, denies link to smart meter contract
Karnataka Minister KJ George said the recent Income Tax raids at premises linked to him were 'a routine regulatory exercise' related to income tax filings and had nothing to do with any government project. advertisementThis comes after the Income Tax Department conducted surveys from July 28 to 30 at multiple locations connected to George and real estate tycoon Jitu Virwani of the Embassy Group, including Golflinks Software Park Private Limited in a statement issued on August 1, George said there was 'no connection whatsoever' between the IT department's visit and the Smart Meter Initiative or the Energy Department of the Karnataka government. In March this year, the BJP alleged a massive Rs 15,568 crore scam in Karnataka's smart meter procurement process, accusing the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government of favouritism and irregularities in the tendering process.'Our teams extended full cooperation to the authorities during this scheduled compliance review,' he added, dismissing what he called 'speculative or misleading claims.'Echoing this position, Golflinks Software Park, in an official note, clarified that the survey conducted under Section 133A of the Income Tax Act was routine and 'has no connection to public officials, state government departments, BESCOM contracts, or smart meter-related matters.'The company called itself an independently managed entity with a 'track record of financial integrity' and warned of legal action against anyone spreading 'incorrect or misleading information.'- Ends IN THIS STORY#Karnataka
