Karnataka ombudsman row to end soon, says chief minister

December 20th, 2011 - 9:32 pm ICT by IANS  

Bharatiya Janata Party Bangalore, Dec 20 (IANS) The row over naming a new Lokayukta (ombudsman) in Karnataka may end soon with Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda indicating that the government will prepare a new panel of names if the governor rejects its present nominee.

“We will have to prepare a new list. It will be inevitable,” he told reporters, a day after Governor H.R. Bhardwaj attacked the government for insisting on accepting its nominee, S.R. Bannurmath, a former chief justice of Kerala High Court.

Gowda, however, said he will make one last bid in the next few days to convince Bhardwaj to appoint Bannurmath as new Lokayukta, which has been without a head since Sep 19.

Bhardwaj has declined to appoint Bannurmath following a controversy that he built a house in Bangalore on a site meant for civic amenities like park or building for community use.

Gowda and leaders of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party have been criticizing Bhardwaj for refusing to appoint Bannurmath.

The chief minister has been saying that Bhardwaj has not officially rejected Bannurmath’s name and only after this is done, the government can look other people.

On Monday, Bhardwaj accused the Gowda government of insisting on Bannurmath to shield BJP leaders indicted in the mining scam.

The Gowda-Bhardwaj meeting will take place Dec 22 bypoll to the legislative council which the chief minister, now a Lok Sabha member, is contesting.

Bhardwaj said Monday that he will talk to Gowda after the elections are over.

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