Corruption in PPE kit purchase: KPCC demands speaker’s nod for PAC inquiry

MANGALURU: Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) working president Saleem Ahmed demanded the state government to issue a white paper on expenditure towards the purchase of PPE kits, sanitizers and masks during Covid-19 crisis.
He said the speaker should grant permission for the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) led by chairman H K Patil to conduct an inquiry into the alleged funds misappropriation in the purchase of PPE kits and other items in Karnataka.
"We have been extending support to the government in the fight against Covid-19 from the past two months. We have told chief minister BS Yediyurappa that our fight is against the pandemic, not the government. As a principal opposition party, we have our own responsibility. Though we have been giving suggestions, the government is not listening to us. Instead, the BJP leaders are busy fighting each other while vested interests among them are engaged in corruption. Though the PAC expressed its willingness to conduct an inquiry into the corruption in the purchase of PPE kits and other items in the state, the Speaker has denied permission," he alleged.
The KPCC has already demanded a special package of Rs 50,000 crore to solve the crisis in the state. Telangana and Kerala have announced special packages of Rs 30,000 crore and Rs 20,000 crore respectively. However, only Rs 2,500 package was announced by Karnataka, but it has not yet been released fully, he said demanding the BJP government to issue a white paper on corruption.
The government has failed utterly but the Congress has already formed a task committee involving all former health ministers led by Ramesh Kumar. A state-level control room has been functioning under the leadership of former minister Krishna Byre Gowda to help people. Meanwhile, former minister R V Deshpande has been leading Vision Karnataka, a team to guide the government with regard to financial matters, he added.