From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore
Bangalore, Nov 12: With the State Government facing the embarrassment of several corruption cases against former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa and many other former ministers, including a CBI case against Bellary mining lord G Janardhana Reddy, the opposition Congress party sought to rub salt into the ruling BJP’s wounds by demanding a CBI probe into the alleged Rs 15,000 crore scam in the civic works carried out by the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) during the last three years.
Addressing a news conferfenced, KPCC President G Parameshwara warmly complimented BBMP Commissioner Siddaiah for his bold decision of unearthing financial irregularities in three assembly constituencies to the tune of Rs 1,539 crore.
''This is only a tip of the iceberg. If a comprehensive probe by a Central agency like CBI is launched, many skeletons in the BJP regime during the last three years,” he said.
Dr Parameshwara said the BBMP Commissioner had filed a criminal complaint with the Bangalore Metropolitan Task Force and the jurisdictional police seeking a probe into the irregularities on the basis of findings by the BBMP’s Technical Vigilance Committee.
The KPCC chief said the government should order for a CBI inquiry into the civic works undertaken by BBMP in all the 198 wards from 2008 to 2012.
Dr Parameshwara said if the government took foolhardy decision of transferring Siddaiah bowing to pressures from BJP MLAs as was done in the case of Lokayukta ADGP Jeevankumar Gaonkar, the Congress party would protest it.
The Congress party ashed out at the ruling BJP Government for blatantly shunting out “efficient and honest” officials from the Karnataka Lokayukta and demanded their reinstatement to ensure fair and impartial probe against top politicians, including Yeddyurappa.
He said “efficient” officials of the Lokayukta have been transferred with a motive of tampering evidences gathered against Mr Yeddyurappa and other BJP leaders of the State.
“I demand Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda to come out with an explanation on the entire episode of transfers of officials and posting tainted officials,” Dr Parameshwara said.
The KPCC chief accused the ruling BJP of trying to slowdown the probe against Yeddyurappa and other former ministers and eventually clear them from all charges of corruption.
The Government has transferred an upright officer like Lokayukta ADGP Gaonkar and posted H S Satyanarayana, against whom the Karnataka High Court directed the Government to take disciplinary action, Dr Parameshwara said.
Arun Chakravarthy, Deputy Inspector General of Police, Directorate of Civil Rights and Enforcement, has been transferred as DIG of the Lokayukta.
The former Lokayukta Mr Justice Santosh Hegde has recommended action against Chakravarhty for dereliction of duty as SP in Shimoga, the Congress claimed.
The government has also shunted out efficient officers such as R K Datta, Madhukar Shetty and Pranob Monathy for unearthing involvement of BJP leaders and former chief minister in the illegal mining in Bellary district, Dr Parameshwara added.
Referring to telephonic conversation with Gaonkar by former Prime Minitser H D Deve Gowda, Dr Parameshwara said: “I am really surprised. I want to know why Gowda called to the Lokayukta. The Chief Minister should come out with the truth related to all these development.”