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Speaker U.T. Khader with Legislative Council chairman Basavaraj Horatti at the Assembly hall on Friday.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Members of the ruling Congress and the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Janata Dal (Secular) are set to flex the political muscles, over the alleged scams in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA), the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation, and the diversion of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes welfare funds for implementing the guarantees, during the monsoon session of the legislature starting on Monday.
During the 10-day session, the Opposition is also expected to flag the government’s alleged failure in containing the rise in dengue cases and oppose a proposal on renaming Ramangara district as Bengaluru South.
MUDA imbroglio
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has been fiercely defending the allocation of MUDA residential sites to his wife, Parvathi, in lieu of the land acquired for developing a residential layout. However, the Opposition raised a maze of questions on the alleged irregularities in the allotment of multiple sites by the authority to land losers. The issue remains controversial and is expected to give fodder to the Opposition.
The BJP, which staged a protest in Mysuru on this issue, has claimed that the MUDA scam runs into over ₹4,000 crore and demanded a CBI inquiry.
In Valmiki corporation
Another multi-crore scam, related to the embezzlement of funds of the Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation, is expected to raise a dust too. With the arrest of Congress MLA and former Minister B. Nagendra, the BJP and the JD(S) will use all weapons in their armoury to challenge the government’s alleged diversion of ₹187 crore from the corporation. Special Investigation Teams constituted by the State government and the Enforcement Directorate have been investigating the scam.
Besides, the discharge of responsibilities by several Ministers are expected to come under the scanner. As the ruling Congress member and chairman of Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Drainage Board Vinay Kulkarni openly levelled charges of “rampant corruption” in awarding tender works in government-owned boards/corporations, the Opposition is expected to seek a probe in tender works awarded by departments, including those by Urban Development Minister Byrathi Suresh.
Mr. Kulkarni alleged that Ministers, including Mr. Suresh, have been awarding contract works to “golmaal companies” and blacklisted “good firms.”
Questions on ‘guarantees’
The government’s flagship guarantee schemes, which have apparently “derailed development programmes”, are expected to come for discussion. After underperformance in the Lok Sabha polls, some Congress members have sought a review of the five guarantees.
Already, the National Commission for SC has directed the State government to provide a report regarding the diversion of funds allocated under the Karnataka SC Sub-Plan (SCSP) and ST Sub-Plan to fulfil election promises made by the Congress.
Infighting for the Chief Minister’s post and demand for more Deputy Chief Ministers will also provide political fodder for the Opposition. The Congress is expected to ask all its Ministers and members to be present in the House to counter the Opposition’s charges.
Meanwhile, members and visitors in the gallery will feel the absence of senior leaders, such as former Chief Ministers H.D. Kumaraswamy, Basavaraj Bommai, and Jagadish Shettar, who were elected to the Lok Sabha.
Bills to be tabled
The session is expected to see Bills such as the Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill, 2024, the Karnataka Platform Based Gig Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Bill, 2024, being tabled.
Issues related to the arrests of Prajwal Revanna and Suraj Revanna on sexual abuse and rape cases, and of actor Darshan in connection with the murder of Renukaswamy are expected to echo during the session.
The session which is expected to be stormy is likely to set the tone for the bypolls in the three Assembly constituencies of Sandur, Channapatna, and Shiggaon.
