Bengaluru, Jul 23: The opposition party Congress on Thursday demanded a judicial enquiry in the alleged scam in coronavirus related medical equipment procurement by Karnataka government.
However, Deputy chief minister Ashwathnarayan and Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai denied all the allegations.
Leader of Opposition (LoP) and former Chief Minister of Karnataka Siddaramaiah and Karnataka Congress president DK Shivakumar addressed a press conference here and demanded a judiciary enquiry under a sitting High Court judge to investigate "BJP's Corona Scams."
"I made allegations on July 3. Nobody has denied it officially. On July 20, Karnataka Health Minister B Sriramulu and Deputy Chief Minister Ashwathnarayan in a press conference denied my allegations. Today, I furnished 14 documents. If you go through it, you will find corruption and misappropriation in medical equipment purchase," Siddaramaiah said.
"The documents are available with the government, how can they deny their own documents. They are telling that they have spent only Rs 324 crore but according to me the government has spent more than Rs 4,000 crore and nearly Rs 2,000 crore went in the minister and bureaucrats' pockets," he said.
He further said, "Centre has procured 50,000 ventilators under PM Cares at a cost of Rs 4, lakh per unit. Tamil Nadu has procured at Rs 4.78 lakh. But in our state, the price is between Rs 5.6 lakh to Rs 18.2 lakh. Is this not corruption?"
Siddaramaiah also dared the government to step up for an enquiry if they are "honest and transparent".
"I am demanding, constitute a judicial committee headed by sitting high court judge, let there be an enquiry in detail," he said.
DK Shivakumar said that his party has made the allegations based on government documents and media reports showing corruption.
"Karnataka government is purchasing equipment at high rates. We have exposed BJP's Rs 2,000 crore scams today. The government's main focus is to loot. They have paralysed the state administration," he said.
Denying the Congress' allegations, Deputy Chief Minister, Ashwathnarayan said that the government is ready to discuss this in the Assembly house.
"They have alleged Rs 700 crore misappropriation by health department but we have shown we have spent only Rs 290 crore," he said.
Giving details of the SDRF expenditure towards COVID-19 containment he said, "We have released Rs. 23,220.01 lakh in SDRF accounts and they have spent Rs Rs. 15, 918.99 lakh in various activities like migrant relief measures, measures for quarantine, sample collection, screening from March 14 to July 16."
Karnataka Home Minister, Basavaraj Bommai, said, "Karnataka government has spent Rs 506 crores for medical equipment and Rs 1,611 crores for other activities related to combatting COVID-19. So, we have spent Rs 2,117 crores as of now and there is no corruption in it."
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aree bhai.... animals are not our parents.... Muslims dont worship animalsss... go and take all cows from your modiji's freinds who are exporting your mata to other countries..... they are in cow trafficking......
How about your uncles of Al Kabeer Beef exporter. Your for uncle is chipanjee so what we will convert as chipanji and stay in jungle.
Stop non sense and be like a human don't try to spoil HINDU religion.
Hope you and your Head quarter manage to understand above message.
I am sure that this bjp leader Ranjit has completely gone mad and it will be better for bjp to kick him out from the party. His baseless + senseless statement will lead to riot. Hence,. he shuld be arrested under terrorist / goonda act immediately. According to scientiest Darwin, human being are coming from apes / monkeys. Based on this, ancistors of this hate monger were apes / monkeys. I would like to know when this hate monger will go to jungle to stay with his ancistors. We will give nice party to him. Why this hate monger is not caring about cows which are let lose in the roads and dying due to hunger. Why dont he take care of them. He is only after the cows which muslims are taking care. As cows are his Matas, he should visit to other countries also to take care of them. Why is not bothered about hundreds of cows being slaughtered for beef export by sangh exporters in Gujrat. Why he has double standard. I doubt he is one of the beef exporters and making crores and low being expressed for cow is a jumla like his Master. Has he dare enough to agitate in front of beef exporting houses in Gujrat. He will be kicked out if he does so. Shame on you guy. Be a human being first. Live and let live others. There is limit for everything . Dont cross the limit.
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