Karnataka drops cases filed against Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar during Mekedatu Padayatra last year

The police had booked Congress leaders under various sections of Indian Penal Code and the Epidemic Diseases Act, alleging that Covid norms had been violated and social distancing guidelines ignored, Patil told reporters after the cabinet meeting.

The decision came following a Karnataka High Court judgment in June that quashed a case of Covid rule violation filed against Congress leaders in connection with the yatra. The yatra was taken out by the-then Opposition party demanding the implementation of the Mekedatu project for the construction of a balancing reservoir near Mekedatu, close to where the Cauvery river enters Tamil Nadu. The neighbouring state opposes the project, which Karnataka maintains is meant to meet the drinking water needs of Bengaluru Urban and surrounding districts.

The cabinet also decided to compulsorily retire two officials caught taking bribes—Dr Usha S Kadaramandalgi and Dr S D Nagamani—while dismissing another official, Dr M H Nagesh, who was sentenced to five years by a district sessions court in a case related to financial irregularities.

Dr Kadaramandalgi was working as a senior gynaecologist in Ramanagara district, while Dr S D Nagamani was a gynaecologist at the Chitradurga Hospital when caught by the Lokayukta. A departmental inquiry had proved the graft charges against them. Nagesh was an assistant commissioner with the commercial taxes department.

Other cabinet decisions include administrative approval for the Centre of Excellence for Aerospace and Defence, grant of Rs 30.64 crore to install vehicle tracking systems and panic buttons in the vehicles of state transport corporations and starting CT scan centres at Bengaluru’s CV Raman Hospital and the district hospitals of Mysuru, Chitradurga and Mangaluru.