JDS demands scrapping House Panel probing power purchases

. BENGALURU: Janata Dal (Secular) today demanded Karnataka Assembly Speaker Kagodu Thimappa to dissolve the House Committee probing the sharp rise in purchase of power as truth may not known if it was headed by Energy Minister D K Shivakumar himself.

JDS leader and former Energy Minister H D Revanna said if the Minister was upright, he should quit the panel as its chief for an impartial probe into the illegal power purchases.

The House Committee was formed by the Assembly to inquire into the sharp rise in the purchase of power and energy- related machineries from 2005 to 2013.

JDS has been demanding an inquiry into production, distribution and purchase of power since 1990.

Speaking to reporters here, Revanna also questioned Siddaramaiah government's decision to exclude probe into the purchases from private companies. "Chief Minister Siddaramaiah claims that his government is clean - why did his government exclude purchases from private companies?" he asked.