Bangalore: The Congress Thursday demanded a CBI
probe into the mining scam as exposed by the Lokayukta report, charging the BJP government with trying to shield the guilty.
Seeking to move an adjournment motion in the Legislative
Assembly, Leader of Opposition, Siddaramaiah (Congress), said
the (then) Lokayukta, Justice (Retd) N Santosh Hegde,
submitted his interim report on illegal mining in December
2008 but the Government "slept over the matter for three
years".
The Lokayukta, who submitted the final report in July this
year, has said that the Government has not implemented the
interim report and that illegal mining had actually gone up
after he filed the first report nearly three years ago.
"People say the Government is not acting on the report as
it wants to shield some people. That`s prima-facie
established," Siddaramaiah alleged.
The Lokayukta report had put the loss to the state
exchequer because of illegal mining (between 2006 and 2010) at
Rs 16,850 crore, he pointed out.
"Government is totally involved (in mining scam)," he
alleged, urging the Speaker K G Bopaiah to set aside today`s
agenda of the House and take up the adjournment motion.
"A Chief Minister (B S Yeddyurappa) had to resign,
Janardhana Reddy (former Minister) went to jail on the issue,
and some Ministers had to be dropped.
"Those who are involved should be sent to jail, they should
be punished," he said, demanding a CBI probe.
Ruling BJP members objected to some of Siddaramaiah`s
statements and were on their feet in protest, leading to angry
exchange of words with opposition members for some time.
Water Resources Minister Basavaraj Bommai said the issue
cannot be taken up as adjournment motion but added that the
Government is ready to discuss it under a different rule.
The Speaker, in his ruling, declined permission for the
adjournment motion but allowed discussion, to be taken up
after question hour.
PTI
