The State Cabinet on Friday decided to recommend suspension and prosecution of eight members of the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) allegedly involved in the 2011 scam in the selection of candidates for the gazetted probationers’ posts. While the suspension and prosecution of five serving members is being sought, the measures are being proposed to prosecute three members who have already retired, according to Law Minister T.B. Jayachandra. Similar action would be sought against the then secretaries of the KPSC, he said.
Briefing reporters after the Cabinet meeting, he said the government would send a recommendation in this regard to the President, through Governor Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala. Already a member of this batch — Mangala Sridhar — has been suspended and is facing prosecution for alleged involvement in recruitment scam.
The serving members whose suspension and prosecution would be sought are S. Rangamurthy, N. Mahadev, H.V. Parshwanath, Dayashankar, and H.D. Patil. Similarly, the prosecution of retired members B.S. Krishnaprasad, N. Ramakrishna, and Kanhiram would be sought, he said.
Compensation
Taking a serious note of crop losses on 55,406 hectares in eight north Karnataka districts owing to rain, the State Cabinet had taken a stand that the compensation for crop losses under the National Disaster Response Fund should be increased from the present Rs. 13,500 a hectare with some financial contribution by the State government, he said.
Kasturirangan report
The Cabinet also decided to recommend to the Centre to exempt villages and private land in 40 taluks, — barring those in Reserved and Protected forests, wildlife sanctuaries and national parks — from the jurisdiction of the proposed Ecologically Sensitive Areas under the Kasturirangan report on the conservation of Western Ghats.
