MLA Bharath Shetty Alleges Corruption in Speaker’s Office, Demands Probe

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Mangaluru : MLA Bharath Shetty has leveled serious allegations of corruption and extravagant spending amounting to crores of rupees within the Legislative Assembly Speaker’s office, claiming these were carried out under the pretext of administrative reforms. He has strongly demanded that a sitting High Court Judge be appointed to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter.

Shetty specifically raised concerns about the unnecessary expenditure of crores of rupees to ‘smart up’ the MLA quarters (Shasakara Bhavan), questioning the high cost involved. He expressed suspicion of financial misuse, arguing that the Speaker’s office is taking advantage of the fact that its matters do not fall under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.

The alleged irregularities include expenses related to electrical decorations for the Vidhana Soudha, the purchase of beds and pillows for the MLA quarters, and what he termed “extravagant” foreign study tours. Further accusations involve the setting up of a massage parlour in the Vidhana Soudha lobby, and excessive purchases of wooden doors, unnecessary floor coverings, expensive book fairs, AI cameras, and new TVs inside the Assembly Hall.

He stressed that standard procurement rules, such as obtaining Finance Department approval and mandatory tendering, were completely bypassed. Shetty claimed that crores were spent without the Finance Department’s explicit permission, and prices for goods were allegedly inflated two to three times before approval was sought. The use of a 4G exemption (an emergency purchase clause) for these works, he said, is highly suspicious and warrants scrutiny.

The MLA also brought up the Speaker’s partisan decision to suspend BJP MLAs, suggesting this action is also part of a larger, questionable pattern of behavior that merits discussion.

Regarding the party’s future action, Shetty announced that the BJP will formally file a complaint with the Governor outlining all these allegations. He confirmed that the party intends to raise the entire matter for debate in the upcoming Legislative Assembly session.

The press conference in Mangaluru was attended by several BJP leaders, including Rajagopal Rai, Ravindra Shetty Ulidottu, Poornima, Ramesh Kandettu, Vasanth Poojary, and Arun Shett.