The State government has set up a five-member committee to inquire into the alleged misuse of funds released to the Kalyana Karnataka Region Development Board (KKRDB) and submit a report within 15 days.
The investigation has been ordered by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah after Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge sought an inquiry into the issue. The Government Order on Thursday pointed out that there had been complaints of misuse of funds in the last two or three years in the expenditure of ₹3,000 crore released to the KKRDB.
Over the last couple of years, Congress legislators from the Kalyana Karnataka region have been accusing that the money released for infrastructure development had been misused and also diverted. Mr. Kharge had written several letters in this regard.
The committee headed by director of the ADB wing of the Planning Department D. Chandrashekaraiah has been tasked to investigate the misuse of funds and utilisation of funds without following procedures. Among those being inquired into are spending ₹3.5 crore released for the Kalyana Karnataka Liberation Day programme without following the KTPP Act besides spending additional ₹50 lakh for the same purposes.
The committee will also inquire into the expenditure incurred in the ₹300 crore grant given to the KK Human Resources, Agriculture, and Cultural Association by the KKRDB. The committee will be in Kalaburagi and other districts concerned from June 12 for three days to inquire into the complaints received in the matter, the order stated.
