Erased line in CM''s wife''s letter to MUDA will be looked into, if necessary: G Paramaeshwara
Bengaluru (PTI): Amid opposition charges of a cover-up and tampering with documents, Karnataka Home Minister G Paramaeshwara on Thursday said the alleged erasure of a line using a whitener in a 2014 letter written by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s wife B M Parvathi to the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) will be looked into, if necessary.
The Congress government on July 14 constituted a single member inquiry commission under former High Court Judge Justice P N Desai to probe the MUDA alternative site allotment 'scam'.
"It needs to be looked into. I don't know. They (opposition) have made a statement. The SIT or the investigation agency, will look into it if necessary," Parameshwara told reporters, in response to a question.
In the letter, Parvathi had sought alternative land in lieu of her 3.16 acres on which MUDA had formed a layout.
Opposition BJP and JD(S) claimed that whitener was used to erase a line in which Parvathi specifically sought alternative land in the posh Vijayanagar Layout.
Since the allegations surfaced against him, Siddaramaiah, denying any wrong doing, has repeatedly maintained that his wife did not seek alternative plots in any specific locality.
"The Desai commission has begun its work, in case any one gets such information whether media or from public, they can say it before the commission instead of making public statements and creating confusion," Parameshwara added.
Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on August 16 granted sanction for prosecution of Siddaramaiah in connection with the 'scam’, giving a major jolt to the nearly 15 month old Congress government.
Parameshwara responded to a question on Gehlot using bulletproof car for the first time on Wednesday since assuming office in 2021 and his security being reinforced, amid mounting tensions between the ruling Congress and the Governor’s office.
"We don't know about threat the Governor has, we are not aware as to who told him about the threat perception. He has sought for security, it has been given, which he is entitled to," he said.
Further noting that BJP is protesting seeking Siddarmaiah's resignation, the Minister said, it is their right to protest, but there is no question of the Chief Minister resigning and there is no need for it
On Special Investigation Team of the Lokayukta seeking prosecution sanction from the Governor against JD(S) leader and Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy, he said it was because "illegalities have happened." "If it (Lokayukta's action) is called illegal, nothing can be said."
To a question on BJP and JD(S) alleging that the government was trying to "safeguard" the CM, he said: "Why does the CM have to be safeguarded? Is he not safe? He is very safe. What has happened to say he is unsafe? If we do one meeting it is being alleged that attempts are being made to safeguard the CM."
"At the most we might do a resolution at a Congress legislature meeting and say that we all stand by the CM. In the cabinet we have said that we all stand by the CM. What's wrong with it?" Parameshwara added.
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CM Siddaramaiah tours across Bengaluru, inspects various works
Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah toured various areas of Bengaluru on Thursday, reviewing road infrastructure and ongoing development projects. He directed BBMP officials to expedite the process of covering potholes across the city.
During a press briefing after his tour, the Chief MInister provided details on the city's road network, which spans approximately 12,878 km. Out of this, 1,344.84 km fall under the arterial and sub-arterial road categories, while the remaining 11,533.16 km belong to zonal roads under BBMP. The CM pointed out that road surfaces in Bengaluru have been damaged due to the installation of BESCOM cables, water supply and drainage pipes, GAIL gas pipes, KPTCL cables, and optical fiber cables.
To address this issue, BBMP has set up a batch mix unit to quickly repair potholes, particularly on arterial and sub-arterial roads. Additionally, Rs 15 lakh has been allocated to each ward for pothole repairs on zonal roads. Siddaramaiah emphasized that the BBMP has also developed a cool asphalt mix unit to tackle potholes even during the rainy season.
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The CM ordered that road damages caused by digging from agencies like BESCOM, KPTCL, and GAIL gas be promptly fixed. He assured that coordination between the Bangalore Water Supply and Internal Drainage Board and other departments has been achieved, regularizing the process of road repairs.
Siddaramaiah highlighted remedial measures, including the introduction of a mobile app called "Raste Gundi Gamana" (Road Potholes Focus) to monitor and ensure timely pothole repairs. Additionally, Rs 1700 crore has been approved for white-topping projects for the 2023-24 period to further curb potholes.
The CM revealed that of the 1,611 km of arterial and sub-arterial roads in the city, 459 km have been damaged. Asphalting of these roads, at a cost of Rs 659.71 crore, will begin in November and is expected to be completed by March.
During his tour, Siddaramaiah inspected several key locations, including the BDA flyover near Hebbal, asphalting work near Kariannanpalya, and metro work at KR Pura railway station. He consulted with officials at each site to ensure smooth progress.
Ministers KJ George, Byrathi Suresh, MLAs BA Basavaraja, Rizwan Arshad, AC Srinivas, and BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath, among others, were present during the inspection.
