Jagadish Shettar says government not trying to protect officers indicted by the lokayukta; 40 have already been suspended
Chief minister Jagadish Shettar on Thursday stated that the government will initiate time-bound action against all the IAS, IFS and other top government officers indicted by the Lokayukta report on illegal mining.
Answering a question raised by JD (S) senior leader Basavaraj Horatti in the legislative council, he stated that state government is not trying to protect any of these tainted 797 government officers indicted by the Lokayukta in July 2011 for their involvement in illegal mining activities in Karnataka.
Horatti alleged only a fraction of officials have faced any action at all till date. The government issue notices for the sake of following the legal process and completely forgot its duty to take action. “Instead, the babus were gifted with plum posts,” he chided.
CM Shettar defended this by stating that till date as many as 40 officials belonging to all ranks had been suspended.
Horatti further attacked the government for not showing any seriousness in apprehending the officials, including 11 IAS officers and four IFS officers.
“Not only has there been no action, senior officers including the IAS and IFS officers have been completely spared, while only some low rung officials have been pulled up. Also, by reinstating officials isn’t the government under the risk of documents being tampered? There has been delay,” he maintained.
Leader of the opposition in Council SR Patil wondered why the government had spared officials, when a “former chief minister” was made to face jail term. “Why hasn’t the government booked any criminal cases against babus? There isn’t any point in merely issuing notices. These are serious offences,” he said.
Shettar said that the government was in the process of taking action. “It is not true that no action has been initiated. Some officials have been suspended, some transferred while some have been reinstated. The government will shortly file criminal cases against the officials. There is no intent to protect them,” he promised.
He maintained that some of the officers have approached the court and obtained a stay on their suspension and some of them have managed to get reinstating orders. As for as retired officers are concerned, the government had lodged a civil case and the process of recovery of the losses had already been started, he maintained.
Shettar promises dust-free roads
Chief minister Jagadish Shettar on Thursday assured that he would direct the authorities to provide dust-free and asphalted roads to commuters wherever Metro work is being completed in Bangalore city.
Replying to a question by BJP MLC MR Doresway, Shettar maintained that he had done site inspections himself around the city. “At some stretches coordination of multiple government departments is required, and it is taking some time. I have issued clear instructions to fill up potholes and asphalt the roads wherever the Metro work has been completed,” he said.
Shettar said the second phase of Metro work would be taken up as soon as the Union government gives its consent. “I have personally met union finance minister P Chidambaram and submitted a memorandum for expediting the process of finance and other clearances to start the Metro work,” he explained.
The state government will have to show the readiness to implement the project. It had been done by the state government as “we had reserved ` 400 crore for Metro work in the budget. Once the Union government clears the project, the second phase will be implemented in a span of five years,” he assured.
Doreswamy expressed his fears over delay of the project as it is important for the growth of not only Bangalore but for whole of the state.
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