Shettar alleges ₹50-cr. scam in Karnataka State Border Area Development Authority

Ministers dispute allegation

February 09, 2018 12:38 am | Updated 12:38 am IST - BENGALURU

Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly Jagadish Shettar on Thursday demanded a probe into an alleged ₹50 crore scam in the Karnataka State Border Area Development Authority (KSBADA), during a debate on the motion of thanks to the Governor’s address in the House.

He accused KSBADA chairman Baburao Chinchansur of misusing funds and alleged that an official of the authority had even met him to plead against raising the issue in the House.

Showing documents to establish his charge of corruption against Mr. Chinchansur, Mr. Shettar said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not get the facts right when he alleged that Karnataka government is notoriously known as 10% government. He is wrong, it is 30% government.”

Health Minister Ramesh Kumar and Agriculture Minister Krishna Byre Gowda, however, disputed the allegation of corruption and questioned Mr. Shettar as to why the Modi government was refusing to make the price of Rafale jets public and called it a “scam”.

Gowda ‘neglected’ at Mahamastakabhisheka event

The issue of not allowing the former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda to address the inaugural function of the 88th Mahamastakabhisheka at Revanna and not calling the name of MLA H.D. Revanna was referred to the Privileges Committee of the Legislative Assembly on Thursday. Raising the issue, Mr. Revanna said not allowing Mr. Gowda to speak and forgetting his name were “intentional”. Despite the government promising to get a report from the Deputy Commissioner, JD(S) members stood firm on their demand and stormed to the well of the House. The Opposition BJP also supported the issue. Finally, Deputy Speaker H. Shivashankara Reddy promised to refer the issue to the Privileges Committee.

Whisper results in uproar

A Congress member whispering the name of BJP MLA C.T. Ravi during a discussion on law and order resulted in uproar in the Legislative Assembly on Thursday. Raising the issue of the murder of a BJP councillor’s husband Kadiresh, Deputy Leader in the Assembly R. Ashok sought to know who was on the list after Rudresh (RSS worker) and Kadiresh? Some member from the Assembly whispered name of C.T. Ravi. Irked by this, BJP members, including Jagadish Shettar, Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri, Aravind Limbavali and other sought to know who whispered the name. The issue was, however, sorted out when Agriculture Minister Krishna Byre Gowda expressed regret.

‘Banakar campaigned in red bus’

Members paid rich tribute to the former Speaker B.G. Banakar who died on Wednesday. While everyone recounted the simplicity of Banakar, Leader of the Opposition Jagadish Shettar said Banakar was dependent on public transport system, especially “kempu bus” (red bus of the KSRTC) even during campaigning. “He used to travel by red bus and campaign. That kind of simplicity is unimaginable now,” he said.

Will Kannada centre be relocated from Mysuru?

A statement by Minister for Kannada and Culture Umashree that the government will discuss the possibility of shifting the Centre of Excellence for Studies in Classical Kannada, presently in Mysuru, has again put a question mark on its location. To a query by JD(S) member Gopalaiah K., she said, “The issue of relocating the centre to Bengaluru will be discussed in the days to come.” However, the statement of Narayan Kumar Choudhary of the Central Institute of Indian Languages, furnished with the reply, said the CESCK will be retained in Mysuru.

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