BJP govt seeks advice from Lokayukta on land scam probe

BJP government in Karnataka on Friday admitted some lapses in ordering judicial inquiry into land scam allegations when the issue was pending before Justice Santosh Hegde and requested him to suggest a way out.

Bangalore: Seeking to ease tensions with the Lokayukta, the BJP government in Karnataka on Friday admitted some lapses in ordering judicial inquiry into land scam allegations when the issue was pending before Justice Santosh Hegde and requested him to suggest a way out.
A letter by Chief Secretary S V Ranganath to Hegde
said there were certain lapses on the part of the government
in unilaterally ordering the judicial probe into land scams in
Bangalore Development Authority and Karnataka Industrial Area
Development Board.

The government requested Hegde to suggest a solution
and also indicate the type of probe he favoured into the
matter, after the Lokayukta stuck to his guns that he would
not allow the government to encroach upon his powers.

Hegde was upset after the government announced the
probe by a retired high court judge without consulting him on
an issue already pending before him. The government had
defended its decision saying it was done under the provisions
of the central act which overrides the Lokayukta Act.
The judicial probe was ordered after Chief Minister B
S Yeddyurappa came under constant attack from opposition which
gunned for his ouster alleging his involvement in corruption,
nepotism and favouritism in allotment and denotification of
lands.

A retired army official filed a PIL before the state
high court seeking a direction to the government on the
enquiry that should be held into land scams.

Speaking to reporters, Hegde said that after taking
note of his objections to the probe being transferred to a
judicial commission, the chief secretary had requested him to
point out the lacunae and how it could be rectified.

He said he would respond to the chief secretary after
the high court gave its judgement on two petitions relating to
land scams pending before it.

The Lokayukta, who has been at loggerheads with the
BJP government on the issue of corruption, has recently issued
a notice to the chief minister on a complaint against him on
denotification of lands.

PTI

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