Karnataka minister denies scam in egg procurement, Congress bays for blood

Women & Child Development Minister Shashikala Jolle on Saturday denied any wrongdoing even as the Congress demanded her resignation after a Kannada news channel aired a sting operation alleging bribery in the tender process for the supply of eggs to anganwadis.

According to the sting, the minister allegedly sought commission in the tender process for the procurement of eggs under the Mathrupoorna scheme.

Calling it "false", Jolle said there was no tender called for the process. "No tender has been called for the egg procurement process. I have not asked any individual or organisation to take part in the tender process," she said in a statement, adding that she would seek legal recourse. "It's a conspiracy to defame me."

Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah demanded a Lokayukta probe apart from asking Jolle to resign. "On one hand the government is not allocating funds for any development works and on the other, its leaders are trying to fill their pockets by misusing their offices," he said in a tweet.

Former Women & Child Development Minister Umashree said calling a tender for the egg procurement was in violation of a Supreme Court order concerning nutrition provided to anganwadi children. "To avoid such irregularities, there is a Balavikas Samithi. Mothers and anganwadi workers are part of this committee. All ingredients must be procured through this. The minister should stop justifying herself and scrap the tender process," she said.