BeyondHeadlines News Desk

New Delhi: The political drama in Karnataka has finally come to an end. Defiant Yeddyurappa has stepped down as the Chief Minister of the state but a new controversy is grabbing headlines -allegations of corruption, bribery and collusion between private mining companies and state owned companies. Jindal Steel is now in the dock for allegedly bribing B S Yeddyurappa’s family in return for favours, reports CNBC-TV18’s Sunanda Jayaseelan.

As per the Lokayukta reports Yeddyurappa and his family members received close to Rs 20 crore from Jindal Steel and its affiliate South West Mining Company (SWM). Of the total, Rs 10 crore was paid to an education trust which is run by Yeddyurappa’s children, son-in-law and other immediate family members.

The opposition says that due to the payment, Yeddyurappa government turned blind eye to some alleged violation of a 1997 MoU which included a non-payment of royalty of over Rs 100 crore. The MoU signed between Jindal Steel and state-run Mysore Minerals was to jointly tap iron ore reserves in Bellary and the money was paid to overlook some of those provisions.

The report also says that the SWM wanted the Yeddyurappa government to recommend a mining lease. It further adds that the Jindals paid Rs 20 crore for a Bangalore plot belonging to Yeddyurappa’s son and son-in-law whereas  the market value of the land is around only Rs 1.24 crore.