Dakshina Kannada Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has ordered issue of notice to former Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa and Cooperative Minister Lakshman Savadi for not releasing funds to implement a health insurance scheme.
The order was passed when a case filed by M. Lokesh Poojary came up for hearing on Thursday.
Mr. Poojary is a beneficiary under the Yashaswini Cooperative Farmers Health Care Trust, and had submitted medical bills worth Rs. 59,000 for reimbursement from Gurupura Vyavasaya Seva Sahakari Bank for a surgery. However, he was told that the reimbursement could not be made.
Mr. Poojary's lawyer K.S.N. Rajesh told presspersons that when the matter came up for hearing in the consumer court in September, the bank contended that it was not responsible and instead held “Managing trustee of the Yashaswini Cooperative Farmers Health Care Trust B.S. Yeddyurappa and trustee Lakshman Savadi” responsible. So, Mr. Poojary petitioned the forum to implead Mr. Yeddyurappa, Mr. Savadi and five others in the case.
President of the forum Asha Shetty told The Hindu that the complainant had made Mr. Yeddyurappa and Mr. Savadi party to the case. However, she said that the petition addressed Mr. Yeddyurappa as “managing trustee” and not “former Chief Minister” and Mr. Savadi as “trustee” and not “Cooperative Minister”.
“How are we to know who they were referring to?,” Ms. Shetty said. Although an order had been passed to issue notice to those named in the petition, she said that the forum had “decided not to serve it” after hearing media reports.
She said that the forum would ask the lawyer for clarification on the persons named in the petition before taking further action.
Mr. Poojary had claimed the cost incurred by him on a surgery performed in February-March 2011 when Mr. Yeddyurappa was Chief Minister.
The Chief Minister holds an ex-officio position in the Yashaswini Health Care Trust.
