Shivakumar appears before CBI in DA case

Bengaluru: Congress Karnataka unit president D K Shivakumar on Wednesday appeared before CBI officials in here for questioning in connection with a disproportionate assets case registered against him, sources said. The CBI had served Shivakumar a notice on November 19 asking him to appear on November 23 but he had sought time citing pre-arranged meetings at Ballari, Maski and Basava Kalyan. Heeding his request, the CBI officials had allowed him to appear on Wednesday.

Ahead of appearing before the agency, Shivakumar said he will cooperate with the officials of the country's premier investigating agency. The MLA told his supporters that there was no need to worry and he had done nothing that would bring a bad name to them. The CBI on October 5 had conducted searches at 14 locations, including in Karnataka, Delhi and Mumbai at the premises linked to Shivakumar and others.

The investigating agency had said the searches have led to recovery of Rs 57 lakh cash and several documents, including property documents, bank related information, computer hard disk etc, and that the investigation is continuing. The CBI had also registered a case against Shivakumar and his family members on the allegations of possession of disproportionate assets worth Rs 74.93 crore. PTI

Siddaramaiah slams BSY over appointments to statutory bodies

Bengaluru: Senior Congress leader former chief minister

Siddaramaiah on Wednesday hit out at the B S Yediyurappa government over a slew of appointments made to various statutory bodies, questioning the need when it was facing "financial stress".

He also wondered whether Yediyurappa was on his way out that he was making "political appointments".

Siddaramaiah repeatedly claimed that the ruling BJP would change its Chief Minister in the State.

"The state government is bankrupt financially, I had suggested even during the budget that the unnecessary expenditure should be reduced and more allocations have to be made for the development of the state," the Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly told reporters here.

Pension was not being given to the poor senior citizens, widows and persons with disabilities for seven to eight months now, there was no money for it, in such a situation what was the need to appoint Chairmans to so many statutory boards? he asked.

Maybe its guaranteed that hes (Yediyurappa) going.... this is what I feel, I don't know. What was the need to make these appointments hurriedly when it was not done for one year four months?" he said.

Instead of cutting down on unnecessary expenditure, taking such decisions was a treachery towards the state, the former chief minister alleged. The government has appointed over 30 people as chairpersons and directors to various boards and corporations in the state. Those appointed include MLAs, former legislators, BJP workers and supporters.

These appointments have been made even as the 77-year old Yediyurappa waits for approval from the BJP high command to carry out the much-awaited expansion or reshuffle of his cabinet.

There has also been intense speculation in some quarters that BJP central leadership was mulling leadership change in Karnataka in the days to come considering Yediyurappa's age.

Though state BJP has rejected such speculations, they refuses to die down. PTI