CAG may present report on BDA at Belgaum session

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India is likely to present its audit report on the Bangalore Development Authority’s site allotments and denotifications, at the forthcoming legislature session in Belgaum.

Official sources said the Accountant General’s report had been approved by the CAG, New Delhi.

The report may throw light on the violations in land acquisitions, denotifications and allotments by the BDA during the five years from 2007 to 2012. However, it may not mention names of politicians and officials who have been found responsible for the irregularities.

As per the norm, the minister concerned should give permission for presenting the report before the House. In this case, it is the chief minister, as he heads the BDA. At present, officials are awaiting the chief minister’s nod for presenting the report, sources said.

Once the report is presented in the House, it will go before the Public Accounts Committee of the legislature. It is a formality to get the chief minister’s approval.

In all probability D J Bhadra, Principal Accountant General (civil and commercial audit), Karnataka, will make himself available in Belgaum to monitor the placing of the audit report and hold a press conference on the day the report is placed.

Usually, it is the clerical staff who hand over the report to the government. But for presenting the report on the BDA, it is said, Bhadra himself is scheduled to be in Belgaum. His office has sought that the secretariat make suitable accommodation for him, it is learnt.

Border areas

Of the six working days the legislature is meeting, from December 5, the first day may not transact much business as the Houses will pay tributes to departed leaders, including former prime minister I K Gujral. Secretariat sources said that it has not yet been decided whether to go ahead with the scheduled business after making the obituary references.

To give impetus to issues related to border areas, the joint house committee to examine the cultural and educational needs of people speaking Kannada in the border areas and outside Karnataka will hold its meeting on December 5. Council Chairman D H Shankaramurthy heads the committee.

Belgaum district borders Goa and Maharashtra. There are places like Sholapur, Jatta and Akkalkot where Kannada medium schools are facing various problems. The panel will meet to discuss problems faced by the border area Kannadigas.

The panel had recently visited Hosur and Talavadi in Tamil Nadu and Chamarajanagar district to study the problems faced by students of Kannada medium schools.