Bengaluru
Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah has ordered a probe by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) into the alleged irregularities in setting up the Parashurama theme park by the previous Bharatiya Janata Party government in Karkala in Udupi district.
The order comes after local Congress leaders raised allegations of corruption in the construction of the theme park. According to people in the know of the development, the probe order comes after protests organised by the Congress leaders of Karkala block unit and the Udupi district unit, demanding an inquiry.
The theme park, situated in Erlapadi village panchayat in Karkala, has faced allegations of malpractice during its construction. Accusations include encroachment on Gomala land and poor quality of material.
Inaugurated hastily by former chief minister Basavaraj Bommai in January 2023, the park’s statue exhibited structural issues, leading to its partial dismantlement due to a weak foundation. Allegations of corruption and claims regarding the statue’s material composition further fuelled controversy, prompting protests and social media outcry.
The local unit of the Congress has been alleging corruption in the project , claiming that the statue was not fully made of bronze. The work had to be stopped following protests by some people. This led to social media posts stating that the statue has become headless. Currently, only a partial statue of Parashurama remains within the theme park.
{{/usCountry}}The local unit of the Congress has been alleging corruption in the project , claiming that the statue was not fully made of bronze. The work had to be stopped following protests by some people. This led to social media posts stating that the statue has become headless. Currently, only a partial statue of Parashurama remains within the theme park.
{{/usCountry}}District in-charge minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar had visited the park last month and said that it is required to complete a project like a theme park. “The work was hastened when the elections were round the corner to mislead people. She would do everything to set right the issue as per the law,” she said.
Later on February 2, Hebbalkar had written to the chief minister, asking him to ensure an investigation into the construction work of the theme park. Acting upon this request, the chief minister has now issued orders for the investigation.
Yogish Acharya Inna, the president of Karkala Block Youth Congress, had announced his decision to abstain from all Congress party activities until the inquiry begins into corruption allegations over the Parashuram Theme Park.
Inna took to his social media accounts to make this announcement, emphasising that many party workers share the same sentiment. “We have chosen to disengage from party activities until the investigation into the corruption related to the Parashuram Theme Park commences. Several party workers in Karkala have joined me in making this decision,” he said.
BJP leaders in the Karkala refused to comment on the issue saying that the party will issue an official statement. V Sunil Kumar, the BJP MLA from Karkala, didn’t respond to the calls. A functionary of the party on the condition of anonymity said: “Do we have to spell out that this is political vendetta? They have been launching these fake probes against BJP and RSS workers. They are trying hard but so far they have not been able to book anything.”
The development comes days after the state government has formed a committee to investigate alleged irregularities in the Karnataka State Electronics Development Corporation Limited (KEONICS). The panel will be led by retired IAS officer S D Meena, stated the order. This decision follows observations made by the principal accountant general during the compliance audit of KEONICS between 2018-19 and 2022-23.
The government has already ordered an investigation into the alleged bitcoin scam, police sub-inspector (PSI) recruitment scam and the accusation by the contractors’ association regarding the BJP government demanding 40% commission for clearing development projects.