Poojary continues to target Karnataka govt over Yettinahole, ACB

Udupi, Mar 27: Congress leader B Janardhan Poojary has continued to exert pressure on Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to drop the proposal to set up an Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) and the Yettinahole diversion project.

Speaking to media persons, the former Union minister said the chief minister's hasty decision to set up an ACB will cost the government in terms of support from the public. He said that by setting up the bureau, the chief minister would weaken the Lokayukta institution. “A person who is charged under some crime will be probed by two separate institutions by filing cases in both in ACB?and Lokayukta.

Setting up of two separate institutions to investigate a single case is not permitted by the Constitution and it has been clearly mentioned in the Article 20,” he insisted.

He accused the chief minister of intending to hand over cases pertaining to his government and officials to the newly created investigation agency, the ACB.

Mr Poojary said that the government should give up the Yettinahole project as it would not only create a host of environmental problems but also lead to chronic water shortage in Dakshina Kannada district.

He said the Uppinangady region in Dakshina Kannada was prone to water shortages during summer. The Yettinahole project would only worsen the problem there. The river diversion project would not only affect people but also the fragile biodiversity of the Western Ghats.

Mr. Poojary said it was a tragedy that all ministers, parliamentarians and legislators of all parties of the Coastal districts were backing the Yettinahole project despite knowing it was disastrous to these districts. “In fact, it is their duty to save the Netravati River, which is the lifeline of the Coastal districts,” he said.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah should undertake a tour of the regions from Gundia to Kumaradhara and listen to the opinion of the people. This would give him a first-hand knowledge of the problems faced by the people in Belthangady region of Dakshina Kannada due to the Yettinahole project, he said.