Bangalore: Revanna Alleges Yeddy's Involvement in Coal Purchase scam
From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network

Bangalore, Sept 15: Even as former Karnataka chief minister and JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy demanded a CBI probe into the multi-crore coal scam in the Raichur thermal power station, his elder brother and party floor leader in the state assembly H D Revanna stalled the proceedings in the House on Tuesday by staging dharna twice.

Kumaraswamy expressed dissatisfaction over the judicial probe by a retired high court judge ordered by chief minister B S Yeddyurappa into the imports of coal for RTPS over a period of seven years from 2002 and demanded that the government can order CBI inquiry from 1994 when H D Deve Gowda-led Janata Dal Government came to power.

In the state assembly, Revanna took up the issue of the coal import scam as soon as the House assembled in the morning and demanded a thorough debate into the financial irregularies and resorted to dharna along with his party members twice forcing adjournment of the morning session.

With the chief minister away in Mysore to attend the Infosys function along with Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Revanna insisted on an immediate debate on all aspects of the coal import scam. Speaker Jagaidish Shettar’s promise to take up the issue after the return of the chief minister was not acceptable to the JD(S) members.

When the JD(S) members led by Revanna rushed to the well of the House to stage dharna to press their demand for an immediate debate, the treasury benches led by transport minister R Ashok, water resources minister Basavaraj Bommai, rural development and panchayat raj minister Shobha Karandlaje and ruling BJP members took strong exception to the unruly behaviour of JD(S) members.

Shettar sharply criticised Revanna for dragging Yeddyurappa’s name into the scandal in the House in his absence without giving notice and pointed out that, ``your intention seems to be to attack the chief minister. You are interested in levelling allegations without following the rules. I have expunged all your remarks.’’

Revanna alleged that the chief minister was directly involved in the coal purchase scam. The government purchased the coal from the Bhatia International Company, Chennai, violating all guidelines of the Centre, he charged

Kumaraswamy, who addressed a news conference, said Yeddyurappa’s announcement in the assembly during the course of his reply to the threed-day debate on agriculture and rural development on launching a new programme, Kalampura, for  developing model village in 200 hoblis of the State and said the chief minister was only ``trying to pull the wool over the eyes of general public.’’

On Yeddyurappa’s announcement of launching 36 new schemes aimed at giving a boost to agriculture and rural development, Kumaraswamy wanted to know the source of funding for implementing the programmes. The chief minister as the state’s finance minister should first try to implement the programmes already announced in the Budget, he said.

Ridiculing Yeddyurappa’s offer to visit the residence of his father and former Prime Minister every month and take constructive suggestions if the JD (S) supremo gives up his obsession with his children’s political future, Kumaraswamy advised the chief minister to first ascertain the views of his senior cabinet colleague, energy minister K S Eshwarappa, on Yeddyurappa’s obsession with his son’s political career.

"The chief minister has no concern for the farmers. He did not bother to respond to the letter written to him Gowda detailing the plight of potato farmers in Hassan. He does not have the basic courtesy to reply to a letter written and why try to fool the people by making false statements on taking suggestions to improve the farmers’ problems,’’ Kumaraswamy said.