Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Jun 2: State legislative council chairman, D H Shankaramurthy, has served notices to eight council members, six from Congress and two from JD(S), relating to allegations of providing false addresses and information, and claiming disproportionate travelling and daily allowances. These eight legislators now face the risk of being disqualified from the council memberships.

Congress MLCs, N S Bosaraju, Allam Veerabhadrappa, S Ravi, R B Thimmapur, M D Laxminarayana, and Raghu Achar, as well as Appaji Gowda and C R Manohar of JD(S) have received notices served on them by the council chairman. The notices have questioned the councillors to explain as to why criminal cases should not be registered against them and why they should not be disqualified from council memberships. The members have been given time till June 3 to furnish their replies.

During the mayoral election of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) last year, these councillors had furnished residential addresses of the city to be able to cast their votes in the election. However, they have availed travelling and daily allowances for travel from their respective hometowns to take part in legislature sessions.

Leader of the opposition in BBMP, Padmanabha Reddy, had complained to the chairman of legislative council along with documents he procured under Right to Information Act. In the complaint he also had mentioned about contents of Prevention of Corruption Act, decisions taken by the speaker of the parliament in the past in such cases, and orders of courts.

Shankaramurthy said that on the basis of these things, he had sent notices of disqualification to these members. He said that after the replies are received he will consider what steps can be initiated based on what the councillors have to say in the matter.