Ministers who proved mega embarassment to CM

Inept scam surrounding Ramachandra Gowda gives BSY headache

The latest one to join the list is Ramachandra Gowda, who has been in the eye of the storm generated by the job scam in his Department of Medical Education.

The long list of embarassments includes serious charges like rape, cheating, irregularities and misconduct. So serious were the charges that some of them had to even quit their posts. And if the current storm escalates, it could curtains for Ramachandra Gowda, who has allegedly involved in large-scale irregularities in recruitment of non-teaching staff in Mysore and Hassan medical colleges.

The scam has surfaced just when the CM was breathing a sigh of relief by turning the tables against the Congress over the mining issue, and worse, Ramachandra Gowda is his confidant. Yeddyurappa must have found the administrative actions of his cohort quite indefensible, because he reversed them. And now, with the High Court virtually questioning the minister’s integrity, Yeddyurappa will have to take action - possibly asking Gowda to exit from the Cabinet.

 The roll of dishonour

The first minister to be in the news for wrong reasons was Es En Krishnaiah Setty, when he was the Housing and Muzrai Minister.

The Karnataka Housing Board (KHB)  bought a vast tract of farm land owned by the close relatives of Setty in Chikkaballapur district at exorbitant rates. Opposition parties forced the Chief Minister to order a high level probe by the Chief Secretary that saw Setty shunted out of the Cabinet, making way for V Somanna. Setty is also facing charges in a housing scam and of pledging forged documents to get a bank loan of Rs. Rs. 7.17 crores thatis being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Next was Social Welfare Minister D Sudhakar. The CBI charged him with defrauding a nationalised bank of Rs 5.50 crore using forged documents. Yeddyurappa, however, took no action.  But, controversies continued dog Sudhakar.

The shocking deaths of hundreds of beggars at the Magadi road beggars’ rehabilitation centre was the last straw. Sudhakar was stripped off his portfolio, but managed to on stay in the Cabinet.Three other ministers, the two Reddy brothers, Janardhana and Karunakara and their associate B Sreeramulu are all the time in news, either in connection with illegal mining or with attempts to destablise Yeddyurappa.  

Another shock to Yeddyurappa was delivered by his acolyte and Food and Civil Supplies Ministrer Haratalu Halappa who faced charge of raping a woman and had to quit. The CID is probing the case. 

Labour Minister Bache Gowda then hit the headlines, allegedly assaulting a Bangalore-based realtor for overtaking his official car on a highway.  The CM  tendered an apology on his colleague’s behalf.