"I have taken note of the various controversies on the KIADB scam. I have informed the Central government about it and submitted a report to President Pratibha Patil, a copy of which has also gone to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh," he told reporters here.
Bhardwaj said he was not informed by the state government about the scam.
"I came to know about it (scam) through media reports. I sought information from the secretariat about it. On the basis of the information furnished by the state secretariat and the media reports, I have submitted the report," he said on the sidelines of the 56th Wild Life Week Celebrations here.
In an embarrassment to the ruling BJP, one of its Bangalore city corporators Jagadish, who is also the son of state minister Katta Subramanya Naidu, was arrested by Lokayukta sleuths last week for trying to influence a witness by offering a bribe of Rs one lakh in the alleged KIADB scam.
Lokayukta N Santosh Hegde at a press conference had said the minister's other family members, including his wife, were also involved in the alleged irregularities.