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CBI probe ordered on Jaswant Singh's suggestion, says Krishna

By Our Staff Correspondent

MYSORE DEC. 27. The Chief Minister, S.M. Krishna, said today that the decision to hand over the investigation of the stamp paper racket followed a suggestion by the Union Finance Minister, Jaswant Singh.

Addressing a public meeting at Periyapatna, near here, after inaugurating development programmes, he said that the objective of handing over the probe to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was to maintain the sanctity of the India Security Press.

He said: "Everything should be done at the right time. The Union Finance Minister, on December 19, suggested to the States that an inquiry by the Central agency was more appropriate, and the State Government handed over the inquiry to CBI on December 26.''

He criticised BJP leaders for making allegations against him, and said that these pertained to alleged attempts made by the Government to protect certain individuals. He said: "However, it was my government that arrested the main accused, Abdul Karim Telgi." Mr. Krishna ridiculed the leaders who demanded a CBI inquiry, and said certain cases being probed by the agency had not reached their logical conclusion. While the CBI was still probing the murder of BJP MLA, U. Chittaranajan, even after nine years, the State police had arrested the main accused in the murder of Congress MLA, Vasant Asnotikar. The investigation by the State police depended on the will of the department, he added.

Mr. Krishna said his Government had written to the Union Government in 2002 about the enormity of the stamp paper racket, and the Union Finance Minister acted on December 19, this year. In the letter, he said, the State Government highlighted the nexus between Telgi and officials of the security press. The Chief Minister added that the efforts of the State Police Department should be complimented.

He said his government had implemented several programmes for women, farmers, and rural people. "The developments in technology have to be taken to the masses, and this is being done through computerisation of offices,'' he added.

On works taken up by the Irrigation Department, Mr. Krishna said that one of the major issues under the Government's consideration was payment of compensation to farmers. It would ensure prompt payment of compensation to people who lost their land to irrigation projects. Earlier, Mr. Krishna inaugurated the Periyapatna Lift Irrigation works at Karadilakkanakere (near Periyapatna). The foundation stone for the lift irrigation scheme was laid in 1986 and work commenced in 1992. The first phase of the scheme, which was inaugurated today, would provide irrigation to 10,000 acres in Periyapatna and Arkalgud.

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