Bengaluru, 31 December (IANS). The Justice Michael D’Cunha Commission, which is probing the deaths during the Covid-19 period in Karnataka and alleged irregularities in the procurement of medical equipment, submitted its final report to the state government on Wednesday. The Commission has also recommended making this report public in public interest.
Retired Justice Michael D’Cunha, who headed the commission set up to probe medical procurement and Covid-19 deaths, submitted the report to Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh in the presence of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
In the report, the Commission has said, “Although the Commission has not placed the report in the public domain, in view of the widespread public interest in the subject matter, the urgent need for reform and transparency in the public procurement system, the government should consider making this report public at an early date.”
Earlier, the Justice D’Cunha Commission had submitted an interim report to the government. The state government had constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) after reviewing the findings of the interim report. Along with this, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. A cabinet sub-committee was also formed under the chairmanship of Shivakumar.
However, later the Karnataka government handed over the investigation of the Covid scam to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). According to sources, the reason for this decision was that no senior IPS officer was willing to lead the SIT due to the fear that many senior IAS officers and politicians would be involved in the investigation.
Karnataka Congress alleges that the Justice Michael D’Cunha Commission report has exposed alleged wrongdoings by the BJP government during the Covid pandemic in the state. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has already accused the BJP of “corruption even over dead bodies” during the Covid period.
The Chief Minister had said, “Not even God will forgive BJP and its leaders for this crime. The public should also not forgive them.”
Siddaramaiah had also alleged that during the Covid pandemic, the then Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa and former health minister B. Sriramulu was involved in corruption in importing PPE kits from China.
Medical Education Minister Sharan Prakash Patil said that the Justice D’Cunha Commission report has made it clear that large-scale corruption took place during the Covid pandemic during the BJP rule.
“We had raised these issues even when we were in the opposition and now they have been confirmed,” he said.
Patil alleged that during the pandemic, medical equipment and materials were purchased at prices much higher than the market rate. “The BJP profited from the crisis and the D’Cunha committee report has recommended recovery of around Rs 49 crore,” he said.
The minister also alleged large-scale corruption in the medical education and health departments, including the procurement of PPE kits, CT scanners and ventilators. He informed that notices have been issued to former departmental secretaries.
He also claimed that there was an alleged fraud of over Rs 200 crore in RT-PCR testing at Kidwai Hospital. However, he clarified that the report submitted by Justice D’Cunha is interim and more matters are likely to be revealed in the final report.
At the same time, BJP leaders have accused Justice D’Cunha of working like an agent of the Congress party. Union Minister Pralhad Joshi made these allegations, after which the Congress government complained against him to the Governor.
Former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa rejected all the allegations and said there was nothing to worry about. He said, “This is an old case. During the Covid pandemic, everything was done within the ambit of law. Malicious attempts are being made to create controversy, which will not benefit them.”
Yediyurappa said he was confident that no mistake was made and everyone discharged their duties honestly. He said, “Despite so many investigations, nothing has been proved against us. Congress is trying to find something forcibly, but it will not get success.”
–IANS
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