Loan fraud case: Kanishk Gold directors questioned in Bengaluru
Bengaluru: The CBI on Thursday said that it was questioning the directors of Kanishk Gold Pvt. Ltd. (KGPL) in connection with its ongoing probe into the alleged defrauding a consortium of 14 banks led by the SBI to the tune of Rs 824 crore.
A Central Bureau of Investigation official told IANS: "Questioning of KGPL Directors Bhoopesh Kumar Jain and Neeta Jain is being carried out at our Bengaluru office."
Bhoopesh and Neeta Jain had arrived here on Wednesday evening, according to the official.
The questioning comes in the wake of the case it registered against the Chennai-based jeweller on Wednesday for defrauding the consortium of Rs 824.15 crore in the form of loans, now been declared a non-performing asset (NPA).
The agency also conducted searches at KGPL's office as well as official and residential premise of accused persons at various places in Chennai.
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20,000 more vacancies in Karnataka Government Jobs; Services affected
Bengaluru: Karnataka has recorded an increase of 20,466 vacancies in government jobs this year, with data revealing that one-third of sanctioned posts in the administration remain unfilled. This shortage has led to significant delays in public service delivery.
Of the 7.72 lakh sanctioned government posts in the state, 2.76 lakh remain vacant, compared to 2.55 lakh last year. The Congress party had pledged in its 2023 election manifesto to fill all vacancies within a year, but 19 months later, this promise remains unfulfilled.
The finance department clarified that hiring is being approved on a "case-to-case" basis. However, mounting fiscal constraints, particularly due to over Rs 63,000 crore expenditure on 'guarantee' schemes, have slowed recruitment under the Siddaramaiah-led government.
Criticising the situation, Karkala BJP MLA V Sunil Kumar highlighted the impact on essential services, citing an example from Udupi district. “With just two employees handling land conversion applications, a service costing Rs 2,000 is being completed at Rs 25,000 due to delays,” he said.
The agriculture department is among the hardest hit, with a 65% staff shortage. Darshan Puttannaiah, Sarvodaya Karnataka MLA from Melkote, expressed concern over the situation, stating, “Government employees are overworked, often putting in 12-15 hours daily. Vacancies are pushing citizens to seek services through outsourcing or corruption.”
Currently, over 96,000 Group ‘C’ and ‘D’ jobs, including stenographers, typists, and drivers, are being outsourced.
R V Deshpande, chairperson of the Karnataka Administrative Reforms Commission, remarked that the government should not be viewed as an employment agency. “While some departments need recruitment, others lack sufficient workloads,” he said, emphasising rising administrative costs.
The Congress government isn’t the first to face criticism over recruitment promises. In November 2022, then BJP Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had announced plans to fill one lakh vacancies within a year, a promise that also went unfulfilled.
