Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)

Mangalore, Jul 16: Although Dakshina Kannada district in-charge minister, Krishna J Palemar, is sitting pretty with the belief that he has convinced Lokayukta, Justice N Santosh Hegde, with his replies, and vindicated his stand, sources claim that the state BJP government is preparing to make him the sacrificial goat, in an effort to wriggle out of the impasse created by the tough stand taken by the combined opposition on the issue of ore scam.

State Chief Minister, B S Yeddyurappa, who has already tendered an apology over his earlier charge that Congress leaders, R L Jalappa and R V Deshpande were involved with illegal mining, may have to do more to pacify the agitated opposition leaders, it is being analyzed. The state government is under immense pressure to sack Reddy brothers from the cabinet, not only from the opposition leaders, but also from the state Governor and some MLAs of the BJP. But the BJP cannot afford to drop them. It is reliably learnt, that to show to the Congress and JDS leaders that it is ready to respond to its demands, the state government is seriously contemplating to drop minister Krishna J Palemar, who happens to be the minister for ports.

The fact that the Governor has apprised the President of India and the Prime Minister about the plundering of the mineral wealth of the state is likely to put the government in a fix. The government firmly believes that the issue of illegal iron ore mining has hogged the limelight because of the theft of iron ore valued at hundreds of crores of rupees from Belekeri port. Leaders in the BJP also feel that if the theft had not occurred, the issue could have been resolved without much difficulty. While Palemar being the minister in charge of the department is directly responsible for the theft, the fact that he had earned the wrath of the Lokayukta by recommending to suspend a forest department official involved with he investigation into the scam, makes him a suitable candidate for being sacrificed.

On his part however, Krishna Palemar has denied that there is any move to obtain his resignation from the ministry. He claimed that he has been managing his portfolios efficiently, and no corruption has ever been allowed to seep into his departments. “There is no necessity to tender my resignations. I have not done anything wrong. I do not propose to resign under pressure,” he clarified.