Bidari appeals to govt to entrust UKP scam probe to Lokayukta

B D Narayankar

Press Trust of India

Bangalore, Oct 28: The Karnataka Crime Investigation
Department (CID) DGP today requested the State government to
tranfer the investigations into alleged financial
irregularities in Upper Krishna Project from it to Lokayukta.
CID DGP Shankar Bidari made the plea to the government to
refer the issue to Lokayukta probe a day after former Prime
Minister H D Devegowda and his son, former Chief Minister H D
Kumaraswamy slammed the CID for the FIR registered against
officials and contractors.
The CID had filed a case in Vidhana Soudha Police Station
on October 26 to probe alleged financial irregularities in
awarding 'piece contract' in Upper Krishna project during
1995-98. Former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda was Karnataka
Chief Minister during 1994-1996 before he was elevated to the
post of Prime Minister.
"I am afraid that our investigation will be affected by the
stigma of allegations made by Deve Gowda and Kumaraswamy,"
Bidari told reporters here.
While Deve Gowda accused Bidari of raking up the case with
an "aim" to become the State's DGP, Kumaraswamy described the
FIR as an act of "political witch hunting".
"The officials have done it under pressure from some
quarters after I brought up a series of exposes against the
BJP government. It is nothing but political witch hunting",
Kumaraswamy had said.
Bidari said there was no truth in the fact that he
registered the FIR into UKP scam to become DGP of the State.
"I have always believed in the dictum "If God is for me, who
can be against me," he quipped.
Further the allegations contained in the FIR involve works
of Irrigation Department which require technical expertise and
constant advice and assistance of senior engineers, Bidari
said.
"The posts of senior engineers are not available in the
CID, whereas senior posts of engineers are available in the
Lokayukta. Therefore, I have requested the government to
entrust the investigation to the Lokayukta, which is not
under the control of the government, unlike the CID," he said.
Refuting allegations made by Deve Gowda and Kumaraswamy,
Bidari said the case has been registered at the instance of
government order dated December 20, 2010, and not at the
personal instance of the then Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa.
"This allegation is false, baseless and motivated," he said.
Despite CID not naming any officer or contractor in the
FIR, he said he was at a loss to understand the reasons for
their allegations.
Bidari alleged that Deve Gowda and Kumaraswamy were issuing
"threats and making wild allegations" against him as he was
discharging his duties in a bonafide manner as per Government
Order.
Also refuting claims that the then DGP had not filed the
case, he said it was the duty of officer concerned to do the
same. "If the previous DGP has failed to do so, it is for him
to explain the reasons for not implementing the Government
Order," Bidari contended.
He further said inspite of the allegations made by Gowda
and Kumaraswamy, he would continue to act without fear or
favour and in an impartial manner.
"I will always discharge my duties without malice towards
anyone including Deve Gowda and Kumaraswamy," Bidari said.
Bidari also recalled the appreciative words of Gowda for
his "courageous work" to bring evidence on the availability of
water and crop condition in Cauvery delta within 36 hours when
other departments failed to do.