Karnataka: 117 legislators yet to disclose assets

June 30 was the last date to disclose the assets but 117 legislators have not done it yet. Last date extended by 2 months to facilitate submitting assets details to Lokayukta. Some legislators have not submitted assets details since 5 years. Names of legislators who fail to disclose assets within the extended deadline will be made public.

Rules with Lokayukta states that all legislators must disclose their revenue and assets compulsorily annually, but several of them violate it regularly.  This year again there are 117 legislators who have not disclosed their assets, way beyond the last date of June 30, reported Kannada Prabha.

For the year 2016-17 the last date to submit assets disclosure was June 30.  As many as 91 members of legislative assembly and 21 members of legislative council have not submitted the details of their assets to Lokayukta. Of the total 225 members of the legislative assembly, 134 members have disclosed their assets; rest 91 are yet to submit. Of the 75 legislative council members, only 71 have submitted. Totally there are 117 legislators who have not disclosed their revenue.

Lokayukta source say there are ministers also in the list of legislators who have not disclosed assets. Some ministers have resigned from the post.  Lokayukta is contemplating on whether to add their names to the list if they have already submitted their assets details.

In fact, there is an extension of two month to submit the details.  There is a possibility that several legislators must have decided to disclose assets in August. The reason why Lokayukta has not made public the names of legislators who have not disclosed assets is that the last date has been extended by two months. If they fail to disclose assets even at the end of extended time period, their names will be announced and notices will be issued to them, according to Lokayukta officials.

There are some legislators who have not submitted revenue details for the past 5 years. Chowda Reddy Thupalli and U D Mallikarjuna of legislative council have not disclosed assets for past two years.  They have been served notices, it is believed.