Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah ordered an investigation into allegations of corruption that allegedly happened during the previous BJP government's tenure and is related to Kalyana Karnataka Region Development Board (KKRDB) following a complaint by party leader Priyank Kharge.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said his probe order was precipitated after details of the complaints were received over the last two to three years. The CM has asked Chief Secretary Vandita Sharma submit a report on it within 15 days.
Kharge, who is Karnataka Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister, said a thorough investigation will be done and the guilty will be booked. "@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. "As soon as our Congress government came to power, I have given a guarantee that action will be taken against those involved in corruption in Kalyana Karnataka region. In accordance with this, it has been suggested to take legal action against those who were involved in corruption in the last BJP government," Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge said.
