The Karnataka Cabinet decided to pass the interim report on Covid irregularities to a team led by the Chief Secretary and Additional Chief Secretary (Finance) for review.
The report, submitted by a commission led by retired High Court judge Justice Michael D’Cunha to the Chief Minister on August 30, investigated alleged problems in Covid procurement and other violations that occurred during the BJP’s rule in the state.
Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H.K. Patil told reporters that the interim report suggested a scam worth “hundreds of crores.” The Commission also noted that several files related to Covid management were missing.
Karnataka Cabinet Probes Covid ‘Scam,’ Plans All-Party Meeting
Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H.K. Patil told reporters that the interim report revealed “misappropriation, mishandling, and malpractice” amounting to hundreds of crores. The report also noted that several files related to Covid management were missing and were not provided to Justice D’Cunha despite efforts to locate them.
The team of officials will analyze the findings further and present them to the Chief Minister and the Cabinet. The minister added that the state government might present the interim report in the next legislative session.
The Cabinet decided to hold an all-party meeting and send a delegation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the National Board for Wildlife postponed its decision on the Mahadayi Project.
Karnataka Cabinet Raises Concerns Over Delay In Mahadayi Project
In the Board’s 79th meeting, Patil said they decided to discuss the project’s approval at a later date. During the same meeting, the Board approved a 400 KV power line construction between Goa and Tamnur, which passes through a 435-acre forest. Patil claimed this decision is part of ongoing unfair treatment toward Karnataka.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change contacted Karnataka about the Goa power line project because a significant portion of the required forest land is in Karnataka. Patil said the Cabinet discussed this issue and raised serious concerns about delaying the decision.
