BJP government in Karnataka faces yet another scam

Hyderabad: The BJP government in Karnataka is embroiled in charges of corruption and scams. After civil works, education and police departments, the latest wing to face charges is Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA). A day after the Registered Unaided Private Schools Managements’ Association (RUPSA) accused the School Education Department of rampant corruption, the BJP government suffered […]

Hyderabad: The BJP government in Karnataka is embroiled in charges of corruption and scams. After civil works, education and police departments, the latest wing to face charges is Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA).

A day after the Registered Unaided Private Schools Managements’ Association (RUPSA) accused the School Education Department of rampant corruption, the BJP government suffered a setback on Saturday with Lokayukta reportedly initiating a probe into the allotment of a site to Home Minister Araga Jnanendra by the Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA).

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This comes in the wake of Aam Aadmi Party leader K Mathai, who is also a former Karnataka Administrative Services Officer, complaining of dereliction of duty against Araga Jnanendra. He was reportedly a beneficiary of a government site allotment after an existing allotment in South Bengaluru was cancelled and re-allotted in the North Bengaluru RMV Extension area.

RUPSA had reportedly written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the alleged involvement of Education Minister BC Nagesh and department officials in demanding money for renewal of recognition and providing no objection certificates to CBSE and ICSE schools.

Corruption, scams and the Karnataka government appear to be synonymous. The ruling and opposition parties have been indulging in verbal duel over irregularities in the State government.

On Friday, former Chief Minister Siddiramaiah urged Energy Minister V Sunil Kumar to take up the responsibility for the alleged Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited’s Junior Engineer’s recruitment scam and initiate stringent action against those involved in irregularities.

He even reportedly said, “Can’t the BJP government conduct any examination without any irregularities or leaking question papers”. The former Chief Minister alleged that electronic gadgets were permitted for conducting malpractices in the examination.

Similarly, the State’s Criminal Investigation Department is probing a scam in the police sub-inspectors recruitment exam conducted in October 2021. A few people, including a senior police officer, have been detained in connection with the incident.

In November last, Karnataka Contractors’ Association accused that the officials were demanding a 40 per cent commission. They had even written a letter to the Prime Minister and have reportedly stated that another letter would be written to him over the rampant corruption by the BJP government.