Karnataka CM to disclose assets on website

Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, whose public image suffered a dent in the wake of corruption charges, has decided to put up details of the assets owned by him and his family on the website of Lokayukta – the provincial ombudsman.

Kumaraswamy told reporters that he had already furnished the details of the property owned by him and all his family members to the Lokayukta. “I have requested the Lokayukta to put the details on its website. I don’t want give my political opponents the trouble of searching for the details of my assets”, he said.

The Karnataka Chief Minister found himself in a tight spot when Congress leaders recently went public with the purchase of an IT park worth Rs 850 million in Bangalore by Kumaraswamy’s family members. The disclosure on the purchase of the IT park came close on the heels of a bribery charge of Rs 1.5 billion levelled against the Chief Minister by a BJP legislator.

Though Kumaraswamy admitted that his family members had purchased an IT park in Bangalore, he claimed that the property had been purchased for Rs 350 million and not Rs 850 as alleged by the Congress. He also denied the allegation that his family members had purchased the property with the help of the Rs 1.5 billion bribe money.

He claimed that he was into film production before he entered politics and his software engineer wife ran a petrol bunk. He wondered whether his family should discontinue their legal businesses just because they were in politics.

Meanwhile, the newly appointed Lokayukta of Karnataka Santosh Hegde, a retired judge of Supreme Court, said he would appeal to all legislators and officials in the State to declare their assets and liabilities on a regular basis to avoid any suspicion of corruption.

Hegde himself has volunteered to declare the details of his own assets and liabilities. “After declaring the details of my assets and liabilities, I will approach the legislators and officials of higher rank in the State to follow suit”, Hegde said.

Hegde claimed that declaration of assets and liabilities on an annual basis would help in clearing of doubts in the minds of the people apart from giving a boost to their credentials.