Lokayukta asks legislators to declare their assets and liabilities

There’s more bad news for Karnataka’s legislators. The Lokayukta wants all legislators to file correct and accurate information when they declare their assets and liabilities before the June 29 deadline.

On Monday, Lokayukta justice N Santosh Hegde told DNA that he is not going to think twice before using his powers to recommend six months of simple imprisonment for legislators who do not comply.

Hegde, in fact, is leaving no stone unturned in ensuring stringency while dealing with the legislators in the two months that he has before he demits the post of the Lokayukta, which will happen on August 31. “There is no question of showing any leniency if anyone (legislator) is found to have committed such a fault,” he said.

Hegde’s deadline has the legislators, including chief minister BS Yeddyurappa worried.  Many of them rushed to file their statements before the Lokayukta on Monday, a day before the deadline gets over. By Monday evening, of 224 MLAs, 78 — including Yeddyurappa — filed their statements of assets and liabilities, and 26 of the 75 MLCs, too, did the same. The bad news is that there is still a huge chunk of legislators who have to file their statements and they will probably do it on Tuesday, before the evening deadline.