Bengaluru: Finding that there is a criminal intent in the alleged irregularities in purchase/ spendings/purchase during the Covid-19 in Karnataka, the cabinet meeting on Thursday decided to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the alleged irregularities when Covid-19 hit the State during the tenure of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from 2019-2023.
It may be recalled here that when Covid-19 hit Karnataka, B.S. Yediyurappa was the Chief Minister and D. Sudhakar was the Minister of Health and Family Welfare.
The SIT will be formed based on the interim report submitted by retired High Court judge Michael D’Cunha on Covid-19 irregularities submitted to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on August 31 this year. Besides, the cabinet meeting also decided to constitute a cabinet sub-committee to look into administrative malpractices but without criminal intent. However, the cabinet authorized Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to constitute the cabinet sub-committee.
At a press conference after the cabinet meeting, Minister of Law and Parliamentary Affairs H.K. Patil, in reply to a query on the number of officials involved in alleged administrative malpractices, stated “A lot many are there.”
Regarding the extent of irregularities involved in the Covid-19, Patil said the Cunha Commission report has not pinpointed the number but estimated that the irregularities could be to a tune of Rs 7, 223. 63 crore.
The interim report recommended for the recovery of Rs 500 crore from all those involved and the erring Companies will be “blacklisted.” However, action against any Minister/Ministers or politicians will be initiated after final report submission by Justice Cunha through SIT sleuths, Patil said.
The recovery process will start immediately, said the Minister, stating that the process of recovery has picked-up pace in recent days.
In another decision of the cabinet, the term of Special Investigation Team (SIT) under Karnataka Lokayukta has been extended by a year considering pendency of cases.
Patil told reporters there are 113 cases related to iron ore exports pending with SIT, two cases have stay orders from the High Court, 8 cases investigations are pending under Section 173 B of CrPC, besides, Ore Evaluation Committee report is awaited and six cases are in various stages of investigation. Patil said the cases pending with SIT date back to 2014.
