The Cabinet gave its own leaders an out from criminal cases filed for violating Covid-19 norms during the Mekedatu Padayatra in 2022.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah chaired the Cabinet meeting at Vidhana Soudha on 10 August. (File Photo)
The Siddaramaiah-led Congress government in Karnataka has decided to withdraw at least nine criminal cases relating to violations of Covid-19 guidelines against Congress leaders, who were then in the Opposition.
Those who got the legal relief included Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, who had been booked during the Mekedatu Padayatra in 2022.
Siddaramaiah chaired a Cabinet meeting at the Vidhana Soudha on Thursday, 10 August, where the decision to let his own party’s leaders off the hook was taken.
The Cabinet took up as many as 16 subjects for discussion during the meeting.
The Cabinet approved the withdrawal of at least nine criminal cases that were registered against the leaders of the grand old party in various limits of the Ramanagara district for violating Covid-19 guidelines during the Mekedatu Padayatra, raising questions of propriety.
In the Cabinet meeting, the government also took various other decisions, including that of setting up five CT scan and 15 MRI scan centres at government hospitals under the private-public partnership (PPP) model.
Additionally, the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) will instal a vehicle-tracking system, a panic button, and a centralised control room, while a Centre of Excellence for Aerospace and Defence will be set up in Bengaluru.
The Siddaramaiah-led Cabinet also approved the mandatory retirement (termination from service) of four government officials, including three officials who were caught by the Karnataka Lokayukta taking bribes and were also found guilty during the departmental investigation.
The Karnataka Cabinet decided to withdraw nine criminal cases relating to violation of Covid-19 guidelines by state Congress leaders, including current Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, during the Mekedatu Padayatra organised by the party in 2022.
The Congress, then in Opposition, had organised the padayatra to demand the implementation of the Mekedatu project across the Cauvery river, despite Covid-19 restrictions in force at the time.
“It has been decided to withdraw nine criminal cases booked in various police stations of the state. It is to do only with the Mekedatu agitation, violating Covid rules and Section 144 and others,” said Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs HK Patil.
He told reporters after the Cabinet meeting, “The decision has been taken based on the application of Congress MLA Ashok Pattan, who is also the government’s Chief Whip in the Legislative Assembly.”
He added: “The cases are related to violation of Covid-19 guidelines by Congress party with its then-state president DK Shivakumar, Siddaramaiah (then Leader of the Opposition), and DK Suresh (Bengaluru Rural MP) by organising a party convention and holding the Mekedatu Padayatra to Bengaluru, based on a complaint filed by Tahsildar Ramanagara, and nine other cases connected with these offences.”
The march, with the theme “Namma Neeru, Namma Hakku” (Our water, Our right), had begun at Sangama — the confluence of Kaveri and Arkavathi rivers at Kanakapura in Ramanagara district — on 9 January, 2022.
It was scheduled to conclude at Basavanagudi on 19 January, after spanning a total distance of nearly 139 km.
It was, however, temporarily stopped on 13 January, with limited options before the Congress amid surging Covid-19 cases.
The then government prohibited the movement of people, and the Karnataka High Court made strong observations regarding the violation of the curbs.
Several Congress leaders, who had attended the march, were also infected by the novel coronavirus.
The party resumed the padayatra at the end of February and it culminated at the National College Ground in Basavanagudi on 3 March.
Apart from withdrawing the criminal cases, the Siddaramaiah-led Cabinet also took many decisions, including terminating four government officials from service.
HK Patil said, “The Cabinet has approved the termination of Commercial Taxes Assistant Commissioner MH Nagesh from government service after he was found guilty of misappropriation of grants. The court also announced five years of imprisonment for the officer.”
He added, “The Department of Health and Family Welfare’s senior gynaecologists Dr Usha SK and Dr ST Nagamani were nabbed by Lokayuta while accepting bribes and both have been found guilty. The Cabinet has decided to terminate both from government service too.”
He also said: “Mudaragi’s Block Education Officer (BEO) SN Halligudi was booked under the POCSO Act and found guilty. He has also been terminated from service.”
Stating that the government approved various proposals, Patil stated, “The Cabinet agreed to set up CT scan centres and MRI scan centres in five and 15 districts, respectively, under the PPP model at a cost of ₹47.41 crore.”
He added: “The Cabinet also approved escalation of 34 percent of the project cost of ongoing construction works of the super speciality hospital at the Belagavi Institute of Medical Science (BIMS). The estimated project cost has been escalated from ₹140 crore to ₹187 crore.”
He continued, “Under the Comprehensive Infant Development Programme, the Anganwadi centres used to cook using palm oil. After many complaints and to help farmers, the Cabinet has approved replacing palm oil with sunflower oil. The total estimated cost of this stands at ₹66.04 crore.”
Patil added: “The government will soon call tenders for the procurement of sunflower oil. As we are switching from palm oil to sunflower oil, there will be an additional cost of ₹9.9 crore, which the Cabinet has approved.”
He also said that the Cabinet gave administration approval to set up a vehicle-tracking system, panic button installation, and a centralised control room by the KSRTC to enhance the service to and safety of passengers. This is being taken up at a cost of ₹30.74 crore.
The Cabinet also gave approval for the following subjects. The Karnataka State Cyber Crime Protection Act of 2023-24 aims to create awareness and prevent surging cyber crimes in the state.
A Centre of Excellence for Aerospace and Defence would be set up in Bengaluru. The project cost would be ₹391 crore. This project is expected to be taken up under the PPP model, where the government is also one of the partners.
The Coastal Development Board has been altered to the Coastal Region Development Authority (CRDA). The Cabinet also approved the inclusion of 23 talukas of the Malnad Area Development Board to the CRDA.
The Cabinet also took decisions related to the Karnataka State Cooperative Agriculture and Rural Development Bank Ltd. The Cabinet also gave power to the Chief Minister to take decisions on either reducing or completely dropping the guarantee charge levied on these banks.
The Cabinet also gave its nod to constitute a Cabinet sub-committee to verify the imposition of property tax on illegally-constructed buildings and disputed lands in the city corporation and city municipal council jurisdictions.
(With PTI inputs)
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