Belagavi: Proceedings of the Legislative Council were held up for an hour on Monday as the BJP staged a protest in the well of the House demanding a probe by a Joint House Committee into irregularities in sinking of borewells under the Ganga Kalyana scheme by the Social Welfare Department.
Although the government said a departmental inquiry had already been conducted, the BJP members refused to relent and the House was adjourned for half- an- hour.
The issue was raised during question hour by Mr M K Pranesh of the BJP, who contended that the irregularities had taken place in all districts of the state. In some taluks, 150 to 180 borewells had been sanctioned and bills cleared without sinking any, he charged. Joining in, opposition leader , Srinivas Poojari, urged the Chairman to allow a half- an- hour debate on the issue, but when he did not allow it, the BJP members demanded a Joint House Committee probe.
Responding, Social Welfare Minister, Priyank Kharge admitted the government was aware of the scam in Kolar, Chikkaballapura and Mysuru and a departmental inquiry had been conducted in all three districts.
In Chikkaballapura, increments of three officials had been withheld and allegations against two officials from Kolar had been proved. An explanation had been sought from one more officer. In Mysuru district, one officer, S Rajesh, had been dismissed from service after the charges against him were proved, he added. But sticking to their guns on a Joint House Committee probe, all BJP MLCs stormed into the well of the House in protest and were pacified only after Chairman Pratapchandra Shetty agreed to allow a half- an- hour debate on the issue on Wednesday.
