26 legislators fail to declare assets, debts before Lokayukta

20 MLAs, 6 MLCs didn't submit mandatory statement by June 30

Twenty MLAs and six MLCs have failed to submit the mandatory statement of assets and liabilities to the Lokayukta even two months after a report was sent to each of them.

Legislators have to submit the statements before 30 June of every year as per the Lokayukta Act.
Ramanagar MLA and former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy, Bidar South MLA Ashok Kheny and Hungund MLA Vijayanand Kashappanavar are among those who have failed to submit the mandatory statement by the deadline.

Kashappanavar submitted the statement only on Tuesday evening, an official said.

MLAs from Bangalore City, Raghu S of C V Raman Nagar and Gopaliah K of Mahalakshmi Layout have not filed the statement either. Kannada actor Jayamala Ramachandra and V S Ugrappa are among the MLCs who have not filed the statement.

Ignored reports

This year, 63 MLAs and 16 MLCs missed the date of mandatory submission of statement on June 30. The Lokayukta office had prepared a report in this regard and sent it to the competent authority (governor) with a copy to the public servant concerned. Despite the reports, 26 legislators have failed to comply with the requirement.

As per the Lokayukta Act, a newspaper notice will be issued with the list of legislators who have not filed the statement under sub-section (2) of section 22 of the Act. The Lokayukta can initiate criminal proceedings against the the public servant for not submitting the required document.

Last year, 29 MLAs and three MLCs had failed to submit the details even after the report was sent to them after June 30. Two months later, the Lokayukta office released the names of legislators to newspapers.

The legislators finally submitted the details when the Lokayukta warned to book them under Section 176 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).