The Hindu : Karnataka News : Council proceedings also affected

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jun 18, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka

Council proceedings also affected

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE, JUNE 17. Members of the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party and the Janata Dal (United) staged a dharna in the Legislative Council today after the Government rejected their demand for an inquiry by a Joint Select Committee into the racket in which rice meant for distribution under the food for work programme was allegedly diverted for commercial purposes.

The Revenue and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, M.P. Prakash, who responded to the discussion on the issue initiated by M.R. Tanga (BJP) and others, including members of the JD(U), said the Government was willing to submit the facts and figures to the Public Accounts Committee for scrutiny.

Mr. Prakash said the Corps of Detectives (CoD) was already investigating the episode after the police had conducted initial inquiries, and to doubt the credentials of the CoD was uncalled for. The CoD had already arrested nine persons in connection with the racket, and it would identify the culprits very soon, he said.

He pointed out that even if a Joint Select Committee went into the cause and consequences of the racket, it could only make recommendations and the option of accepting the report or rejecting it would rest with the Government. The committee would not be in a position to file a case against the guilty, he said.

However, his comment that such committees would be toothless and ineffective drew protests from the Leader of the Opposition, D.H. Shankaramurthy, who said the purpose of such a committee would not be to do the job of the Police Department, but to introspect, debate, and draw lessons from such episodes, and frame policy to correct the system

Basavaraj Bommai (JD-U) remembered that when the late Ramakrishna Hegde was Chief Minister, a similar scandal had come to light, and the person who was accused was a cousin of Mr. Hegde's. However, this had not stopped Mr. Hegde from announcing the setting up a Joint Select Committee to inquire into the affair and accepting its report.

Mr. Prakash countered this by reminding the Opposition of how the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) had refused to set up a House committee to investigate the import of coffins by the Defence Ministry from the U.S. at enormous cost. The NDA too had justified its reluctance to set up a House committee, he said.

After several speakers from the ruling party and the Opposition tried to persuade each other to relent, in vain, the Opposition members announced that they would stage a dharna.

The acting Chairman, V.R. Sudarshan, adjourned the House for 15 minutes, and when it reassembled, the Leader of the House, M. Mallikarjun Kharge, joined Mr. Prakash in an attempt to talk the Opposition out of their "adamant demand," and withdraw their dharna. The House was adjourned for the day soon afterwards.

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