Bangalore: The BJP Government in Karnataka
Thursday defended its decision of ordering a judicial probe into the allegations of land scam faced by Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, though a complaint on the same issue was pending
before the Lokayukta.
The government said the judicial inquiry headed by former
state high court judge B Padmaraj covered a larger gamut of
issues than those raised in a complaint by JDS before the
Lokayukta.
Lokayukta Santosh Hegde had yesterday expressed his
reservations over the judicial probe saying that the
government had not sought his permission.
Hegde had also made it clear that he would go head with
the inquiry on the complaint received by him.
The state cabinet that met here today discussed the
objections raised by Hegde and viewed that "The Karnataka
Lokayukta Act is a state act while the Commission of Enquiry
Act under which the probe has been ordered is a central Act."
"The central act takes precedence over the state act",
Higher Education Minister Dr V S Acharya told reporters
briefing about the cabinet decisions.
He said the government expected any authority
investigating into the issue to share all the information and
details of the probe and proceedings carried so far to the exclusive Commission set up to look into the issue.
"The probe is a broad spectrum one and covers all such
matters, including denotification of land and KIADB issue
since 1995 while the Lokayukta inquiry only pertained to
denotification of land by Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa and
the KIADB issue"
Refuting allegations that the government was reluctant to
a Lokayukta probe on the issue, he said, "prima facie there is
nothing to hide. We have entrusted the whole gamut to the
Commission of Enquiry"
To questions raised by the Lokayukta on the need for
permission to be sought before initiating a second probe he
said, legal luminaries would study the issue. "We will have to
look into", he said.
PTI
