Ex-speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri accuses incumbent Khader of funds 'misappropriation'

Bengaluru: Former speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri slammed the incumbent U T Khader on Tuesday for alleged "misappropriation of funds" and sought a judicial probe by a sitting judge. 

Addressing a news conference, Kageri, the Uttara Kannada BJP MP, said: "Khader isn’t behaving in a way that suits the (Speaker's) chair.. In the name of administrative reforms, there are allegations of a big scam. There needs to be a comprehensive probe about this.”  

The former speaker questioned various initiatives by Khader, including the rosewood door at the entrance, new TVs, spending for AI-monitored systems, giving clocks resembling Gandaberunda (the state's emblem) to all legislators, introduction of recliner chairs for legislators, providing lunch and refreshments for MLAs and so on. 

"They have introduced smart door lockers for the rooms of legislators at the Legislators Home (LH). While big companies like Godrej are charging Rs 14,000-16,000, they have been charged over Rs 49,000. While smart safe lockers cost around 8,000-9,000 as per online info, they have been charged over Rs 35,000 for this. The market rate for the technology that switches off lights in case we forget and leave the room is around Rs 30,000. But they have been charged Rs 90,500".

He said 123 smart energy solutions, 224 safe lockers and 224 door lockers had been installed.

'Fin dept rejected initially'

Kageri claimed that the finance department had initially rejected these proposals by saying that it wasn't an emergency. 

“But after the file was returned, there's an allegation that the chief minister, who heads the department, himself made a phone call and got it cleared. Let there be a probe by a sitting judge so that the Speaker's chair is cleared from this allegation, and let the chief minister also come clean.” 

However, the former Speaker refused to quantify the magnitude of the scam.

He said the probe would bring it to light, and added that he would write to Governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot about it.