Bengaluru: Opposition leader R Ashoka Monday alleged corruption is widespread under the Congress govt and quoted a Lokayukta report which said 195 cases were registered against senior govt officials over the past 41 months to bolster his claim. In a statement, Ashoka said the cases involving IAS, IPS and KAS officials show the scale of alleged irregularities in the administration and is a “reflection of the functioning of the govt”. Quoting from the report, he said Karnataka Lokayukta registered the cases between Sep 2022 and Feb 2026. “Of these, 104 cases relate to raids linked to disproportionate assets, while in 91 cases, officials were caught red-handed while accepting bribes,” he said. He said investigations in 89 cases are still at a preliminary stage. An IAS officer and an IPS officer are among those facing corruption charges, while 12 KAS officials also face charges. The report clarifies that no official has been convicted or cleared of charges. Ashoka also criticised the govt for failing to ensure timely payments to sugarcane growers. He said sugar factories are required to clear dues within 15 days of procurement, but in Belagavi district alone, some Rs 1,554 crore remains unpaid even after the 2025-26 sugar season ended. “CM Siddaramaiah, if you spend your time only securing your chair, who will respond to the hardship of farmers?” Ashoka asked. He also alleged the Ayushman Bharat scheme has not been implemented effectively in the state. “The Union govt expanded Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana in 2024, extending the scheme to cover all citizens above the age of 70,” he said. “But the Congress govt has not implemented the scheme properly and senior citizens are reportedly unable to access medical treatment even though they possess the Ayushman Vayo Vandana card, which assures health insurance coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh.”
