Bengaluru: An inquiry commission probing irregularities in Covid-19 management when the BJP was in power submitted its first report to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday, and is said to have recommended criminal cases against those involved in misappropriation during the pandemic.
Retired Karnataka High Court Justice John Michael Cunha, who is best known for delivering a judgement convicting former Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa, gave Siddaramaiah a 1,722-page report.
According to sources, objections raised by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), headed by senior Congress lawmaker H K Patil during the pandemic, have been proven during Justice Cunha’s inquiry. The PAC then had raised concerns over corruption in procurement of Covid-19 supplies at inflated prices.
The Commission of Inquiry headed by Justice Cunha was formed in August last year to examine allegations of irregularities in the procurement of Covid-19 drugs, equipment and other aspects. The Congress government had asked the commission to probe the period starting with the first lockdown (March 2020) till December 31, 2022.
This report could be bad news for the BJP, especially Chikballapur MP Dr K Sudhakar, who was the state’s health and medical education minister when Covid-19 struck.
During the Lok Sabha polls, Siddaramaiah had claimed that there was “sufficient evidence” against Sudhakar to put him in jail. “After investigation, it’ll be proved that he’s guilty. He will go to jail 100 per cent for corruption,” Siddaramaiah said during a road show in Chikballapur.
Justice Cunha’s report is divided into 11 parts, each one focussed on procurement expenditure incurred by a government entity.
In total, the report has examined expenditure to the tune of Rs 7,223 crore. This includes procurement by the department of health & family welfare, National Health Mission, Directorate of Medical Education, Karnataka State Medical Supplies Corporation Ltd, Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology, BBMP central office, BBMP Dasarahalli zone, BBMP east zone, BBMP Mahadevapura zone and BBMP Raja Rajeshwarinagar zone.
The Commission has informed the government that it would submit another report on other BBMP zones and 31 districts.
Published 31 August 2024, 18:15 IST