Promises strict action against the accused, know what DK Shivakumar said

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has assured strict action against those involved in the COVID-19 scam during the previous BJP government, and asserted that no one responsible for the irregularities will be spared. Speaking to reporters after chairing a meeting of the Cabinet sub-committee on COVID-19 irregularities in Vidhana Soudha, Shivakumar said the government has received the report submitted by the Justice Kunha Committee and is taking steps to address its findings. We are reviewing the report and have directed officials to take necessary action within the legal framework, Shivakumar said. He said the committee has recommended questioning officials and filing criminal complaints in some cases. He said we are yet to determine the exact number of cases, but those responsible will face the law. Shivakumar also spoke on the deaths of 36 people at Chamarajanagar Hospital due to oxygen shortage during the pandemic and rejected the committee’s conclusion that there was no human error involved. Our government disagrees with this conclusion. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and I met the victim families and assessed the situation. The previous minister had claimed that only three deaths were due to oxygen shortage, but we will reopen the investigation. Highlighting financial irregularities in COVID-19 testing, Shivakumar cited shocking figures. 84 lakh RT-PCR tests were conducted in Bengaluru city alone at a cost of Rs 502 crore. Kidwai Hospital conducted 24 lakh tests and billed Rs 146 crore. These figures need to be verified. We have given a free hand to the officials to investigate.