The former Endowment Minister and in-charge of Dakshina Kannada and MLC Kota Srinivas Poojary on Friday wrote to Lokayukta P. Vishwanath Shetty to hold an inquiry into the allegations being made against him in the social media on the construction of his house at Giliyar village in Brahmavar taluk of Udupi district.
He said that some social media posts have shown him in poor light by mocking at him stating that a simple man [Mr. Poojary] is building a house at a cost of ₹6 crore on 13 cents of land.
But, Mr. Poojary said that he is constructing the house at an estimated cost of ₹60 lakh. The source of funding is ₹35 lakh which he had availed himself of as loan from the apex bank and ₹40 lakh loan which he has sought from State Bank of India, Varamballi-Brahmavar branch. The loan from the SBI is in the stage of being sanctioned and the first instalment is likely to be released shortly.
The Minister said that he has repaid the loan that he availed of from the apex bank two years ago through his salary and honorarium. His son, Shashidhar, has completed MBA and is managing his own enterprise. The income earned by his son is also being used to build the house.
Mr. Poojary stated that being a Cabinet Minister twice and MLC three times, he had submitted his affidavit to the Lokayukta every year revealing the details of property owned by him.
“A baseless allegation is being made against me and that has naturally hurt me,’’ he said in the letter.
The MLC said that those who are opposed to his public life have made the allegations at a time when the new Cabinet expansion is on the cards.
Mr. Poojary appealed to the Lokayutka that he is free to take action against him in case if the expenditure on the house exceeded the income earned by him and his son. If the construction is within the limits of the income earned by them, action should be taken against those who have made baseless allegations against him, he said.
The letter said that the MLC is of the firm view that he has not spent even ₹1 in excess of his income.
