The Siddaramaiah-led Karnataka government on Thursday decided to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and a Cabinet sub-committee to take further action on the report by the Justice Michael D’ Cunha Commission of Inquiry, which probed alleged irregularities in the purchase of equipment and medicines during the COVID-19 pandemic when the BJP was in power.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the Cabinet, chaired by CM Siddaramaiah. In the “partial” report submitted on August 31 in 11 volumes, the Commission examined the expenditure to the tune of ₹ 7,223.64 crore, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil said, interacting with the media. He said, “They have not pinpointed that so much (scale) is misappropriation.” He, however, said the Commission has recommended a recovery of ₹ 500 crore.
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The Commission has sought reports from four zones in Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and 31 districts of the state, and it has yet to receive them, he added. The “partial” report has been submitted after verifying 55,000 files from the concerned departments.
The 71-year-old Minster said based on the report, as criminal intent is also involved, it has been decided to constitute an SIT and a Cabinet sub-committee for “review and monitoring.” It has also been decided to begin the recovery proceedings immediately and to blacklist those companies or establishments involved in the wrongdoing.
He further said: “Wherever the criminal element is there, SIT will naturally look into it. Apart from that, the Cabinet sub-committee will be assisted by relevant officers to go into details of other malpractices. The details about those involved are not there in this report, and it may come in the final report.”
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