Joint legislature panel will probe water unit scam: CM

Bengaluru: Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, admitting irregularities in the installation of pure drinking water units in the State, on Wednesday said a joint legislature committee would inquire and submit a report on the matter.

He announced this in the Legislative Assembly following a demand by several MLAs, especially from the ruling BJP, who alleged a scam in the setting up the units.

Their installation was an initiative of the previous Congress government led by Siddaramaiah.

"Many MLAs have said there has been corruption. I personally visited several places and found equipment lying unused. Four times more money seems to have been spent on them. There seems to be a big scam. We will get an inquiry done and punish the guilty," Yediyurappa said.

Speaking at the Legislative Assembly, he said there would be an inquiry in two months and the report placed before the Assembly.

Yediyurappa was intervening during a discussion on issues related to pure drinking water units following a query raised by Yadgir BJP MLA Venkatareddy Mudnal during question hour.

Rural Development Minister K S Eshwarappa, welcoming the decision on the probe, said he had demanded an inquiry when he was leader of opposition in the legislative council during the tenure of the previous Congress government, but no inquiry was ordered.

He said, "There had been complaints regarding the drinking water units. So, after our government came to power, a research firm Ipsos was asked to conduct a survey. According to its report, 70 per cent of the units were working, 4 per cent closed and 26 per cent temporarily not functioning."

The report said out of 18,500 units, 1,629 were temporarily not functioning, he said.