The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the State Legislature is planning to move a privilege motion against Assembly Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri for stalling a probe into alleged corruption in the procurement of COVID-19 equipment.
The PAC headed by former Minister and senior Congress leader H.K. Patil had sought a report from the Health and Family Welfare Department on the alleged complaints related to siphoning off public funds to procure devices and protective equipment to fight COVID-19.
Mr. Kageri issued an order on May 27 barring house committees from conducting field visits or meetings with officials in view of the COVID-19 pandemic. This irked Mr. Patil, who alleged that Mr. Kageri’s order was “tantamount to promoting corruption and curtailing rights and privileges of legislators and members of the PAC”:
The committee will take a final decision on moving the privilege motion at its meeting on June 2, Mr. Patil said a press conference on Saturday.
