Date:09/06/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/06/09/stories/2007060912540400.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Dues to be recovered from political leaders

Special Correspondent

Current, former Ministers and legislators owe over Rs 1 cr.

Dues are mainly for overstaying in official residences

Also, missing or damaged furniture and electricity charges

BANGALORE: The Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR) has initiated action to recover dues totalling Rs. 1.11 crore from Ministers and legislators, both current and former.

The outstanding dues are mainly for overstaying in official residences (when they were Ministers), missing or damaged furniture in the residences and electricity charges in the past few years, officials in the Secretariat said on Friday.

The DPAR has written to Home Minister M.P. Prakash, Kannada and Culture Minister H.S. Mahadeva Prasad, Municipal Administration Minister R. Srinivas, Legislative Council Chairman B.K. Chandrashekar, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly and Council N. Dharam Singh and H.K. Patil, senior Congress leader M. Mallikarjun Kharge and sitting and former legislators requesting them to pay their dues.

Mr. Dharam Singh, former Chief Minister, on Friday said he would pay Rs. 20,789 that he owed the Government, in a day or two.

Information obtained by Bheemappa Gundappa Gadada of Mudalagi in Belgaum under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, revealed that the former Minister Vaijnath Patil, MLA, topped the list with dues of Rs. 23,95,122, followed by the former Ministers B. Somashekar (Rs. 8,59,444) and D. Nagarajaiah (Rs. 6,53,487). The DPAR has instructed the Deputy Commissioners concerned to recover their dues from land revenue.

Dues will be recovered from the monthly pension being paid to K.M. Krishna Reddy, B. Muniyappa Madappa, Vasanth Salian, M.C. Nanaiah, M. Shivanna and M. Diwakar Babu, all former Ministers.

According to the information furnished by S. Thippeswamy, Additional Secretary (Protocol), DPAR, M.P. Prakash, B. Muniyappa Muddappa, Veerakumara A. Patil, D.B. Chandre Gowda, Baburao B. Chinchansur, K.N. Gaddi, Basavaraj H. Patil, H.C. Srikantaiah, M.M. Nanaiah, Baburao Chauhan, R.B. Thimmapur, M. Mahadev, Qamar-ul-Islam, Allam Veerabhadrappa and the late Kashappanavar are among those whose dues exceed Rs. 1 lakh. The DPAR has written to them asking them to pay their dues.

Other leaders

Other prominent leaders who have defaulted are Roshan Baig, G. Parameshwar, Motamma, Tanvir Sait, Jabbar Khan Honnalli, Amare Gowda S. Patil, Prakash Hukkeri, H.C. Mahadevappa, S.R. More, Satish Jarkiholi, M.M. Hindasgeri, B.B. Chimmanakatti, V. Muniyappa, C.R. Sageer Ahmed, M. Mallikarjuna Nagappa, B. Koliwad, A. Alexander, K.H. Ranganath, M.L. Ustad, H.M. Revanna, M. Shivanna and Diwakar Babu. They owe less than Rs. 1 lakh.