JOIN USThe State Cabinet, in November last, took the decision to refer the cases to the CID following allegations of large-scale irregularities and corruption in implementing the irrigation project from 1994 to 1996-97 when Deve Gowda was the chief minister.
The government contended that the High Court of Karnataka had issued notice to Chief Secretary S V Ranganath on a petition filed by one Somashekara Reddy on the irregularities in the project. The court had asked the government to conduct an inquiry by an appropriate authority.
The Cabinet note mentioned that an Estimates Committee of the State legislature headed by Vaijanath Patil had inquired into the piecework contracts given during the tenure of Gowda as chief minister and wanted the cases to be referred to the CBI. It is estimated that irregularities to the tune of Rs 90 crore took place in nine types of works.