Siddaramaiah accused of nepotism towards 'community man', sanction sought to prosecute

In a three-page complaint letter, V Shashidhar, the president of Police Maha Sangha has accused Siddaramaiah of making arbitrary appointments

Accusing Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of nepotism, an activist has sought the Governor's sanction to initiate criminal proceedings against him. V Shashidhar, the president of Police Maha Sangha has accused Siddaramaiah of indulging in nepotism and wants him prosecuted under section 13(1)(d) of the Prevention of Corruption act.

In a three-page complaint letter to Governor Vajubhai Vala, Shashidhar has accused Siddaramaiah of appointing Congress MLA and a man from his community, N Nagaraj from Hoskote assembly constituency as Chairman of Bengaluru International Airport Area Planning Authority in Devanahalli in violation of rules.

"Due to political pressures, compulsion and for extraneous reason Chief Minister has directed the Chief Secretary to appoint the said MLA to BIAAPA, modifying the earlier order made to the Karnataka Food and Civil supplies corporation as its chairman," the complaint copy said. "The CM is overriding procedural aspects to make the appointments. He is recommending his own partymen to coveted posts to various boards whimsically. These political appointments are not only causing a loss to the exchequer but are also unfair to the people of Karnataka," Shashidhar has claimed.

Apart from attaching two executive orders from the Karnataka government first making an appointment with the Food and Civil supplies department and then overriding it with Nagaraj's appointment, Shashidhar has also included the criterion under which such appointments are to be made.

A member of the planning authority, other than a person appointed as a member by virtue of office shall possess the following eligibilities:

He shall be a person ordinarily resident in the local planning area he must be associated with Town Planning work at leader for one year in bodies such as municipalities, village panchayats, town improvement boards, city improvement board, planning authorities or the state town planning boards

He must be a qualified Town Planner or architect or engineer practicing in the state, the period of such practice being not less than five years

He must be a specialist such as an Economist, Geographer, Sociologist or Legal Practitioner

The complainant alleges that Nagaraj does not fit any of the criteria and hence his appointment was purely political. Shashidhar had embarrassed the Siddaramaiah government by calling for a massive protest of police constabulary in the state that had forced the Home Minister to take notice.

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