BANGALORE: The BJP government may have alleged him of incurring losses to the state exchequer during his tenure as energy minister, but on Friday it was H D Revanna’s turn to hit back at the former, accusing it of being involved in a similar scandal. Addressing newsmen here on Friday, the JD(S) leader challenged the state government to refer the purchase of material by state-owned ESCOMs over the last three years costing Rs 4,000 crore to the Lokayukta or CBI, or order a judicial inquiry; according to him, the purchase had resulted in a Rs 2,000 crore loss to the ESCOMs (electricity supply companies).“How could the CAG miss this issue? Only a proper inquiry would reveal the truth,” he said, adding that BESCOM purchased material for other ESCOMs under the ‘Niranthara Jyoti’ scheme, on the lines of a similar scheme in Gujarat that ensures 24-hour power supply to rural areas. The former minister claimed that equipment worth Rs 3,000 crore, purchased by the state government unnecessarily, was lying unused in godowns.However, he sought to distance himself from the alleged Rs 11.4 crore purchase scandal made during his tenure - which came in for criticism from the CAG - stating, “I have no role in it. The managing directors of the companies should be held accountable.”Welcoming the government’s decision to refer the case to the Lokayukta, he demanded a probe into the ‘Niranthara Jyoti’ purchase scam. Referring to the scam, he said: “The scheme which was launched in 2008 has not produced any desired result. No dedicated power lines have been commissioned. The government purchased material worth Rs 4,000 crore in one year.”
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