BENGALURU: As many as 1,228 cases under the Prevention of Corruption Act against elected representatives and government officials are pending before the Karnataka Lokayukta.
Corruption cases against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, former CMs BS Yediyurappa and HD Kumaraswamy, and minister Zameer Ahmed Khan are among them.
Some cases have been pending for more than 10 years. Of the 1,228 cases, only 337 have been sent for sanction for prosecution. But the authorities have given sanction only for prosecution in 142 cases.
During the recent winter session in Belagavi, Siddaramaiah, in his reply in the Council to BJP’s DS Arun, stated that many cases needed legal opinion, some of the accused had obtained stay orders, and a few needed opinion from heads of various departments to proceed further.
Corruption cases have also been registered against many MLAs, including BY Vijayendra, ST Somashekar and Gali Janardhan Reddy, and many former legislators, including Madal Virupaksha and Chowdareddy.
‘Give more power to Lokayukta’
There is a need to strengthen the Lokayukta. Presently, the Lokayukta police do not directly come under the Lokayukta. They come under the state government. “Everyone thinks Lokayukta has powers. But Lokayukta only conducts investigations and recommends to the state government for action. Again, the recommendations go to the cabinet for approval. The cabinet has the discretionary power to accept or reject the recommendations. There is a need to empower the Lokayukta to dismiss or suspend officials involved in corruption cases’’ a retired official from the Lokayukta told TNIE.
Lokayukta sources said to safeguard the interests of some influential elected representatives and officials, the institution is not being strengthened. “This holds good for all political parties that come to power,’’ the sources added.