BJP turning coastal Karnataka into Hindutva laboratory: Siddaramaiah
Mangaluru (PTI): The ruling BJP is trying to turn coastal Karnataka into a laboratory of Hindutva for their political advantage, Opposition Leader in the state assembly Siddaramaiah said on Sunday.
Addressing reporters in Udupi, Siddaramaiah said BJP leaders are more interested in speaking about 'love jihad' than development issues.
BJP is spreading lies in the name of Hindutva to cause division in society, the Congress leader alleged. He said Hinduism and Hindutva are entirely different.
The former chief minister, who was in Udupi as part of the 'Praja Dhwani' programme of Congress, said people have come to realise the mindset of the BJP. Congress believes in spreading love among the people regardless of their religion, he said.
Siddaramaiah said terrorism of any nature should be condemned by all and those who work behind such activities should be severely punished.
He claimed that BJP cannot come back to power in Karnataka even if Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah visit the state several times.
Siddaramaiah said he has decided to contest from Kolar in the assembly election, but the final decision is up to the party high command. The Congress leader expressed confidence that his party will win 130 seats in the forthcoming polls. There are 224 seats in the Karnataka Assembly.
The party will considerably improve its position in the twin coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi, he said.
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Karnataka procured 16 lakh expired RT-PCR kits during Covid wave: D’Cunha commission
Bengaluru: Justice John Michael D’Cunha’s committee has uncovered significant irregularities in the procurement of medical supplies during the Covid-19 pandemic, revealing that more than 16 lakh RT-PCR test kits purchased by Karnataka in 2022 under the BJP-led government were either expired or close to their expiry dates.
After irregularities in PPE kit purchases, ventilators have also come under the scanner, with the report highlighting discrepancies amounting to Rs 173.26 crore in purchases made by the Medical Education Department.
The commission has also found that the Karnataka State Medical Supplies Corporation Ltd. (KSMSCL) that cancelled a supply order for one lakh Rapid Antigen (RAT) kits placed with a Singapore-based company in March 2020 — for delay in supplying — has not recovered the Rs 6.99 crore paid to the company towards the order, as reported by The Hindu on Thursday.
According to the 279-page report on procurements made by the KSMSCL that is compiled in part IV of the report, a payment of Rs 148.84 crore was made by KSMSCL to various suppliers and firms towards procurement of RT-PCR kits from 2020 to 2022.
The Commission’s report, as cited by the publication, stated that there were records indicating procurement of RT-PCR kits, RNA extraction kits and Viral transport media (VTM) of a total value of Rs 106.25 crore during the pandemic in Karnataka. However, according to the report, this procurement was made without administrative approval.
“Since the KSMSCL has failed to discharge its obligation and responsibility, the loss caused to the State exchequer to this extent is required to be replenished by the erring officers and/or officials of the KSMSCL as well as the officers and/or officials of the consignee designated laboratories who received the consignment,” the report said, pegging the losses due to expired kits supplied by companies at Rs 3.11 crore.
In response to the report’s findings, state Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao criticised the saffron party for profiting from the pandemic. He promised accountability for the irregularities involving PPE kits and ventilators, stating that those responsible would face punishment.
