Bangalore, Jan 08: Karnataka Chief Minister S M Krishna today said the government would reveal the extent of revenue loss to the state exchequer on account of the multi-crore fake stamp scam before the assembly elections due in September this year. "Yes...Certainly within September 2004, when I will have to go to the people for a fresh mandate," Krishna told reporters here when asked whether the state had set a timeframe for revealing the revenue loss on account of the scam.

"Some times it goes on for years (investigation)..You cannot fix a timeframe within which you unearth a scam of this magnitude," he said, when pointed out that the investigations had begun over two years ago and added "you ask the question to the Goverment of India.”
Asked about the realistic assessment of the revenue loss to the state exchequer, he said "each state will have to make the assessment, that is what the investigation is going to do".

Stating that speculative assessment of the revenue loss had been made even by union finance minister, he said "speculation is going on".

"..To the legislature, we are accountable, through the legislature we are accountable to the people. So, we will give our credit and debit account when we go to the people," he said.
"Well the assembly is on and the legislative council is on, whatever we have to say, we will say it there," Krishna said.

Bureau Report