Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Oct 25: Even as BJP is belligerently heaping allegations of scams on the part of ruling Congress government in the state, it is gathered that the government is silently preparing to take on former chief minister and state BJP president, Y S Yeddyurappa, and MP, Shobha Karandlaje, who was energy minister in the past, on the issue of power purchase scandal during the period BJP government was in office.

The house committee formed to look into power purchase scandal is expected to file its report by the end of this month. When Yeddyurappa was the chief minister of Karnataka, Shobha Karandlaje was the energy minister in 2010. During that period, power purchases were made to the extent of Rs 28,000 crore, overriding the objections of the finance department. A private television channel has come out with a report stating that the committee has found irregularities running into several thousands of crores in the purchase of power.

Siddaramaiah, Yeddyurappa

BJP had earlier accused chief minister, Siddaramaiah, of being involved with land denotification scandal. Later, it had said that the state had indulged in scandal in buying of coal, duly supported by some documents. Having been pushed to the wall, the government, it is said, now plans to hit back at BJP.

Reacting to the information, Shobha Karandlaje said that all power purchase agreements are entered into by officials and that the ministers have no role to play. She termed allegation of power purchase scandal when she was the minister as politically motivated. "As per rules, scandals above five crore rupees need to be entrusted to Central Bureau of Investigation. Therefore, I demand to hand over the issue to this agency so that truth will come out," she commented.

Chief minister, Siddaramaiah, said that a decision on whom to entrust the report being submitted by the house committee headed by D K Shivakumar will be taken once the house committee presents its report. He said that there are allegations about Shobha Karandlaje indulging in corrupt practices when she was energy minister, adding that minsters are responsible for scandals happening in their respective departments. He felt that Shobha is now trying to wriggle out of this problem by shifting the onus.