K'tka govt vouches action while responding to Lokayukta report

Contrary to what has been said a couple of weeks back, the Karnataka government has written to the Lokayukta that it is on course to initiate action based on the report on illegal mining.

A letter dashed off to the Lokayukta's office on Thursday states that the government is on course to initiate action.

The state cabinet has also decided to take action against all those 785 officials who are named in the report on illegal mining prepared by former Lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegde.

Further, the letter also states that they would also act on the non-officials who form part of this report submitted by the Lokayukta two months back.

The letter also speaks about the action taken against some of the ministers who were named in the report. Although the Reddy brothers (including mining magnate-turned-BJP politician Gali Janardhana Reddy, currently lodged in Chanchalguda jail in Hyderabad for his alleged role in the massive illegal mining scam) have not been named, the letter states where action has been recommended the cabinet had decided to keep such persons away from the ministry.

There is, however, no direct mention about the action taken against former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa. The letter only mentions that in some cases the course of action has already been initiated by the judiciary and the cabinet is keeping a watch on the same.

The letter also speaks about the action that the government would take based on the report on illegal mining. Earlier, the cabinet had met and decided to send back a letter to the Lokayukta regarding this report.

The cabinet had raised various doubts regarding the veracity of the report and how the Lokayukta had managed to indict so many persons without giving them an opportunity to put forth their case.

However, Justice Santhosh Hegde had said in a press conference that all procedures had been followed as per the Prevention of Corruption Act and also the powers vested upon him.

It was being said that the Karnataka government was preparing a ground to quash the report, but the letter sent out on Thursday indicates otherwise.

Moreover it was essential for the Karnataka government to give a reply since, as per the rule, they are supposed to respond to a report within three months from the date of them receiving it.