Shivakumar to head cabinet sub-committee to probe Covid scam during BJP tenure
Bengaluru: Moving swiftly on the probe into the alleged Covid scam during the previous BJP government, the Karnataka government within hours after declaring the formation of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) and cabinet sub-committees, announced that Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar will head the cabinet sub-committee.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has formed the seven-member cabinet sub-committee headed by Shivakumar on Thursday night. Minister for Home G. Parameshwara, Minister for Law and Tourism H.K. Patil, Minister for Health Dinesh Gundu Rao, Minister for RDPR, IT and BT Priyank Kharge, Minister for Labor Santhosh Lad and Minister for Medical Education Sharan Prakash Patil will be members of the committee.
Siddaramaiah has stated in the order that the retired justice John Michael D’Cunha Commission formed to look into the Covid scam has submitted its first report. The report mentions that a huge scam had taken place and recommended that action might be initiated.
Siddaramaiah said that in this backdrop, to initiate necessary action a cabinet sub-committee has been formed under the presidentship of the Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar.
The development is likely to trigger a debate as the rivalry between Shivakumar and then Minister for Health and present BJP MP K. Sudhakar, who is at the centre of the alleged scam is well known.
Earlier, Karnataka Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs H.K. Patil said on Thursday that the government will form the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the alleged Covid scam which took place during the tenure of the BJP government.
“It has also been decided to form a cabinet sub-committee to probe the scam,” he added.
Speaking to reporters after the Cabinet meeting, Minister Patil said that the commission headed by retired justice John Michael D’Cunha has submitted an interim report on the Covid scam.
“The decision to form the SIT has been made as there is criminal content in the report. The recovery proceedings will have to be expedited immediately,” said the minister.
He added that the report has been submitted in 11 volumes and investigation has been done into the misappropriation of Rs 7,200 crore.
“The commission has recommended recovering Rs 500 crore. The reports are needed to be collected from four zones of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and 31 districts. The report has been submitted to verify 55,000 files from various departments,” he said.
He further stated that the companies and institutions which colluded in the scam would be black-listed.
“The SIT will look into the criminal aspects. The SIT probe will reveal the roles and involvement. Once the complete report is submitted to the government by the commission, it will throw light on the exact scam and partners in the crime,” the minister added.
He said that the SIT will continue its probe based on the findings and recommendations of the commission.