Siddaramaiah orders probe into corruption allegations pertaining to Kalyana Karnataka Region Development Board

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Pic/PTI

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has ordered an investigation over allegations of corruption in Kalyana Karnataka Region Development Board (KKRDB) during BJP government's tenure, following a complaint by party leader Priyank Kharge, reported news agency ANI.

Kharge, who is Karnataka Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister, said a thorough investigation will be done and the guilty will be booked.

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"@CMofKarnataka orders investigation into the mismanagement of KKRDB funds. Crores has been diverted to fulfill BJP's hidden agenda and for their own MLAs. As promised earlier, a thorough investigation will be done and the guilty will be booked," Priyank Kharge, who is son of Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, said in a tweet.

Congress leaders had earlier alleged that some BJP leaders in Karnataka were "hand-in-glove" with contractors and were "misappropriating public funds" released to KKRDB.

Corruption was a key issue of the campaign during the Karnataka elections held earlier this month with both BJP and Congress making allegations at each other.

Karnataka Congress party had earlier released a 'corruption rate card' depicting various 'scandals' of ruling BJP government in the state, including '40 per cent commission' charge by state contractors.

While releasing the corruption rate card in both English and Kannada, Karnataka Congress party leaders alleged that the ruling BJP govt in state has "looted" Rs 1,50,000 crore in the last four years.

"The cost for the CM post is rs 2,500 crores while the cost of a ministerial berth is Rs 500 crore," Congress said in its 'Corruption rate card'.

"40 per cent sarkara has looted over Rs 1,50,000 crore from the people of Karnataka in the last 4 years," it alleged.

The rate card with specific mention about commission, read, "The government demands different deals. It begins with 30 per cent commission for the mutt grants, 40 per cent for road contracts and goes up to 75 per cent for the Covid-19 supplies."

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who expanded his cabinet by inducting 24 new Ministers, has allocated portfolios to all the ministers in his Cabinet, late last night.

There is mounting pressure on the new Congress government by opposition parties and various sections of people from across the state, to fulfill its five poll guarantees.

In the maiden Cabinet meeting of this government, soon after the swearing-in of Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister and eight Ministers on May 20, it was decided to accord "in-principle" approval to the Congress' five 'guarantees' promised before the elections.

The 'guarantees' would "most likely" be implemented after the next Cabinet meeting, Siddaramaiah, who chaired the cabinet meeting, had told reporters that day.

The Congress had promised to implement the 'guarantees', 200 units of free power to all households (Gruha Jyoti), Rs 2,000 monthly assistance to the woman head of every family (Gruha Lakshmi), 10 kg of rice free to every member of a BPL household (Anna Bhagya), Rs 3,000 every month for unemployed graduate youth and Rs 1,500 for unemployed diploma holders (both in the age group of 18-25) (YuvaNidhi), and free travel for women in public transport buses (Shakti), on the very first day of assuming power in the state.

(With inputs ANI and PTI)