Date:29/07/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/07/29/stories/2007072953330400.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

58 legislators file fuzzy assets details

Staff Reporter

Lokayukta has given them time till August 31 to file their declarations

273 legislators were asked to give details by July 25
Criminal cases to be filed if the 58 fail to comply

BANGALORE: Fifty-eight legislators have failed to give complete details of their assets and liabilities for 2006 as sought by the Lokayukta. Prominent among them are M. Mallikarjun Kharge, Vatal Nagaraj, R.V. Deshpande, R. Roshan Baig, Anjanamurthy, M.R. Seetharam and V. Somanna. Minister for Forests C. Chennigappa is also on the list.

The Lokayukta office had scrutinised the declarations filed by the legislators under Section 22 of the Lokayukta Act. Notices were issued to 273 legislators asking them to submit the missing details by July 25. While 58 legislators are yet to reply, 12 legislators, including the former Ministers H.K. Patil and R. Ramalinga Reddy, submitted their explanation on July 26.

Lokayukta N. Santosh Hegde said the scrutiny revealed that the legislators had failed to give details of assets of their family members. Some of the legislators had not given the details about bank accounts, vehicles used and other movable and immovable properties. “Though not required under the Act, we gave time to the legislators to give the complete information, before we release information under the Right to Information Act,” Mr. Hegde said.

Among the legislators who have failed to reply to the Lokayukta’s notice are A. Narayanaswamy, D.C. Thammanna, K.G. Bopaiah, C.C. Patil, Araga Jnanendra, G. Shivanna, Vivekananda Vaidya, Amaregouda L. Patil Bayyapur, R.K. Rathod, Mohan K. Shetty, Doddanagouda G. Patil, S. Shivashankarappa, Vishwanatha K. Mamani, M.B. Patil, B. Nanjamari, Vijayalakshmamma Bandisiddanagouda, K.M. Krishnamurthy, M.Y. Patil, K.M. Thimmarayappa, H.C. Balakrishna, Anil H. Lad, M. Srinivas, Dinesh Gundurao, B. Prasanna Kumar, N. Yogish Bhat, Y. Nagappa, M.T. Krishnappa, B.K. Sangameshwara, Prakash Khandre, T.H. Shivashankarappa, B.P. Venkatamuniyappa, Vinaya Rajashekarappa Kulkarni, M.K. Somashekara, M.P. Venkatesh, Mallikarjun S. Akki, K.N. Rajanna, Rajendra Verma, Prabhakar Kore, H.R. Srinath, Thontadarya, Manohar Maski, C.S. Arun Machaiah, H.S. Shivashankar, K.S.L. Swamy, V.S. Ugrappa, Aravind Limbavali, B.A. Hasanabba, Saleem Ahmed, D.S. Veeraiah, S. Ravi, L. Hanumanthaiah, M.D. Ramesh Raju and Puttanna.

Among those who filed their replies after July 25 are K.R. Ramesh Kumar, M.C. Sudhakar, M.T.B. Nagaraju, S. Raghu, Jagadish C. Metgud, K.M. Krishnamurthy, B. Prasanna Kumar, T.H. Shivashankarappa, M.P. Nadagouda, Lalaji R. Mendon, Santosh S. Lad and Rathna Kushnoor.

Deadline

Mr. Hegde said the legislators have time till August 31 to submit the complete details. “If they fail to do so by August, we will be treating their declarations as ‘no statement’ and will proceed to file criminal cases… ” he said.