Bharath Shetty accuses ministers of corruption, calls Karnataka government a ‘bribe-guaranteed government’

Bharath Shetty accuses ministers of corruption, calls Karnataka government a ‘bribe-guaranteed government’

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Sep 2, 2026: Mangaluru MLA Y Bharath Shetty has accused ministers in the Congress-led Karnataka government of allegedly collecting money from government officials, claiming that officials have been given monthly collection targets.

Speaking at a press conference in Mangaluru, Shetty alleged that some ministers who came to power through what he termed a “payment quota” were involved in extortion and were collecting money from officials.

He claimed that officials had been instructed to collect a fixed amount every month and hand it over to the respective ministers.

“Congress MLAs themselves are complaining about this in writing,” Shetty said, referring to Puttur Congress MLA Ashok Rai’s reported letter to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

Shetty said Rai’s letter itself showed how the government was functioning and alleged that corruption had become the only “guarantee” under the present administration.

“This is a government where only bribery is guaranteed,” he alleged.

Shetty also recalled the Congress campaign against the previous BJP government over allegations of a 40% commission. He claimed that the allegations could not be substantiated and described the campaign as a “hit-and-run” allegation.

He said the Congress, while in opposition, had accused the previous government of corruption, but alleged that similar practices were now prevalent under the present administration.

E-Swathu 2.0 Causing Delays, Hardship to People: Kishore Kumar

Legislative Council member Kishore Kumar has raised concerns over the implementation of the Karnataka government’s paperless digitalisation initiative, E-Swathu 2.0, alleging that the system has resulted in significant delays in processing applications.

Addressing a press conference in Mangaluru, Kumar said that out of 1,84,242 applications submitted through the system, 23,802 were yet to be approved. He said 639 applications had been rejected, with a large number of them reportedly from Dakshina Kannada. Another 895 applications were pending for revision, he added.

Kumar also criticised the changes in the procedure for issuing 11A and 11B certificates. He said these certificates were earlier being issued at the gram panchayat level, but the responsibility had now been shifted to higher officials, making the process cumbersome.

He pointed out that tasks earlier handled by Panchayat Development Officers (PDOs) had been transferred to senior officials, resulting in delays and difficulties for the public.

Kumar said he had raised the issue earlier when Priyank Kharge was handling the concerned portfolio, but alleged that he was not given even two minutes to discuss the matter.

“The government should not create difficulties for poor people. They should be allowed to construct their houses without unnecessary hurdles. People are being forced to run from one office to another for nearly a year to get approvals for house construction,” he said.

Kumar demanded that the process be simplified and that the necessary services be made available at gram panchayat offices as before.

Describing the government as “thick-skinned,” Kumar alleged that the administration was deeply immersed in corruption and urged it to address the difficulties faced by ordinary citizens.

He also said that he would raise the problems and concerns of the coastal region separately at the upcoming Cabinet meeting.