Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Jul 6: Chief minister B S Yediyurappa on Monday July 6 rubbished the allegations of misappropriation levelled by opposition leader Siddaramaiah with regard to the purchase of COVID-19 equipment and termed it 'unnecessary'. To further his claims, the CM asked him to personally examine the documents.
Addressing reporters after paying tribute to former deputy Prime Minister Babu Jagjivan Ram on his death anniversary, the chief minister said, "Let Siddaramaiah come and have a look at the figures, our officials will give him all the documents. As the leader of the opposition, let him personally examine everything."
The chief minister said that if the allegations were found true, strict action would be taken against officials involved.
He said that Siddaramaiah has made the allegations without having any documentary proof. "But, without having any documents unnecessarily Siddaramaiah has been making such allegations. I had not reacted so far. Since you asked I am telling him, as the leader of opposition come and sit in Vidhana Soudha (state secretariat), examine all the documents and give appropriate suggestion."
On Friday, July 3, opposition leader Siddaramaiah accused the state government of misappropriation in the purchase of equipment for COVID-19 treatment and demanded for an enquiry.
Siddaramaiah had stated, "The government has spent about Rs 3,000 crore. Of this, there are irregularities to the tune of Rs 2,200 crore in the procurement of Covid-19 equipment," he quoted alleging the government has paid more than the market price.
'We have to learn to live with this pandemic': CM
On the various measures the state government has been taking to control the virus in Bengaluru city, the chief minister said that more that 450 ambulances were arranged and there is nothing to worry.
He appealed the citizens to cooperate and take responsibilities in adhering to all precautionary measures given by the government. "We have to learn to live with this pandemic, so if the citizens of Bengaluru maintain social distance and cooperate with the government we can control the spread, there is no other way. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also said the same thing," he said.
The state has recorded about 23,474 confirmed COVID-19 cases as of July 5 out of which 9,580 cases are from Bengaluru Urban. 9,847 have been discharged and 372 have died so far.
Beltangady: Siddarmaaiah takes jibe at CM for COVID 'failure', PM's pat
Daijiworld Media Network - Beltangady (SP)
Beltangady, Jul 6: Commenting tongue in cheek, former Karnataka chief minister, Siddaramaiah, congratulated chief minister, B S Yedirappa, for being appreciated by Prime Minister,Narendra Modi, for the way he has been managing corona situation. He also felt that Modi would have heaped more praises on Yediyurappa if he had gone thorugh a series of reports appearing in newspapers everyday about the miserable failure of the state government in handling COVID situation.
Taking potshots at the state government through a series of tweets, the Congress leader questioned the CM for not seeking enough financial assistance from the Prime Minister. "Have you asked the PM how much he has transferred to Karnataka from the PM Care Fund? Even if he had given some false assurances, it would have brought some solace to aggrieved people," he commented.
He wanted to know whether the CM appointed three persons to regulate COVID situation in Bengaluru for helping the infected people or to mitigate the differences of opinions between his colleagues. "We have heard that the duties of the triple deities are to manage creation, preservation, and destruction. Which are the duties shared to these three leaders by you?" he wanted to know.
Noting that people in Karnataka are dying for want of ambulance services, he advised Yediurappa to at least learn from people like Andhra Pradesh where its chief minister, Jagan Mohan Reddy, has started over a thousand ambulances equippped with ultra modern medical equipment.
He noted that health minister, Sriramulu, has challenged him to prove his earlier allegation of usurping funds in the name of COVID management. He reminded that Sriramuilu's friends in Ballari had posed similar challenges in the past, and then went to prison when documents were released. He asked Sriramulu to keep this in mind before posing challenges.