Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru
Bengaluru, June 15: A new civic audit has revealed a dramatic rise in personal wealth among Karnataka’s elected representatives, with MLA K Gopalaiah reporting a staggering 1,399% increase in assets, the highest among those assessed.
The report also highlights poor utilisation of allocated funds, low legislative attendance, and multiple criminal cases, raising concerns over accountability and governance.
The findings were released Saturday by 'Civic' organisation under the initiative “Namma Neta, Namma Review” (“Our Leader, Our Review”). The report assessed the performance of four members of Parliament (MPs) and 32 members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) representing Bengaluru, marking one year since their current terms began.
Among the elected representatives, K Gopalaiah tops the list with a 1,399% rise in declared assets, followed by Munirathna with a 959% increase, N A Haris at 318%, and R Ashoka at 104%.
The report also draws attention to Munirathna, who faces the highest number of criminal cases among the lawmakers, with eight cases including allegations of sexual harassment, rape, and involvement in a honeytrap case filed as recently as December 2024.
Parliamentary attendance and participation vary significantly; P C Mohan had the highest attendance at 98.51%, closely followed by Dr C N Manjunath at 94%, while Tejasvi Surya recorded the lowest attendance at 77.6%, below the national average of 87%, despite being one of the most active participants in parliamentary debates. Surya also leads in the number of questions asked, with 84, compared to Manjunath’s 9 and Mohan’s single question.
Regarding the utilisation of MPLAD funds, Dr C N Manjunath utilised 126.64% of his allocation, Tejasvi Surya 116%, and Shobha Karandlaje 97.6%, whereas P C Mohan was at the bottom with just 9.48% utilisation.
In terms of MLA fund usage under the Karnataka Legislators Local Area Development Scheme (KLLADS), only four MLAs have fully utilised their allocated Rs 4 crore, while Rs 40.79 crore remains unspent and Rs 4.84 crore is at risk of lapsing. The Mahadevapura MLA S Manjula reportedly did not allocate any funds during the period covered by the report.
Legislative Assembly attendance also shows disparity, with Nelamangala MLA N Srinivas maintaining 100% attendance, while three MLAs had attendance below 70%, and Priya Krishna recorded the lowest at 53.62%.
This comprehensive report, compiled over six months by students and civic volunteers, evaluated attendance records, legislative engagement, asset declarations, criminal records, and fund usage, aiming to empower citizens with data to foster greater transparency and accountability in governance.