Tribal welfare case: Full amount misappropriated is being recovered, says Siddaramaiah

Speaking to the media at Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru on Tuesday, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah stated that the tribal welfare scam case is currently in court, and the government will take further action based on the upcoming judgment. He assured that the entire allocated budget for the Valmiki Development Corporation will be provided this year. Siddaramaiah highlighted that there had been misappropriation amounting to approximately Rs 89.63 crore, out of which Rs 5 crore has already been recovered. Of the remaining Rs 84.63 crore, Rs 71.54 crore has been recovered so far. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) has assured the recovery of the remaining Rs 13 crore, Siddaramaiah stated. He mentioned that instructions have been given to the Secretaries of the Department of Social Welfare and the Department of Law to resolve the confusion surrounding caste certificates and to issue appropriate circulars. During a meeting with Scheduled Tribes communities, Siddaramaiah brought attention to issues regarding some individuals obtaining fake caste certificates, in addition to the mismanagement within the Valmiki Development Corporation. He stressed that there should not be any shortage of funds for the corporation. The Chief Minister also noted that the Congress party is fully prepared to face the upcoming by-elections in the state, stating that all preparations have been made and the party is ready to contest the elections effectively. In related news, the Special Court for MLAs/MPs in Bengaluru granted conditional bail to former Minister B. Nagendra on Monday in the Tribal Welfare Board case. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Nagendra on July 12 after questioning him in connection with the case. Following allegations against him, Nagendra, who was the Scheduled Tribes Welfare Minister, tendered his resignation on June 6. The BJP has alleged Siddaramaiah's involvement in the scam, claiming he agreed to the misappropriation of Rs 89.6 crore from the government body. The party asserts that it is a scam involving Rs 187 crore and contends that Siddaramaiah's role as finance portfolio holder makes his involvement evident. The ED has named B. Nagendra, Congress MLA and former Minister for Scheduled Tribal Affairs, as the primary accused and mastermind in the alleged scam concerning the Karnataka Maharishi Valmiki ST Development Corporation. The Enforcement Directorate has filed a Prosecution Complaint (PC) or charge sheet before the Special Court for MPs/MLAs in Bengaluru in connection with the scam, which the court has taken cognizance of. Notably, the SIT investigating the scam has given a clean chit to former Minister Nagendra in this case.