Monday, October 17 2005 18:46 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Bangalore: Sharpening attack on his political detractors for launching a campaign against him, Maharashtra Governor S M Krishna today (Oct 17, 2005) charged that corruption was rampant during 1994-1999 when Janata Dal Government ruled the state.

Seeking to turn the tables on former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, who is targeting him relying on a World Bank report on corruption level in Karnataka between 2000 and 2003 when Krishna was the chief minister, Krishna told sources that a survey conducted by the funding agency pointed out that 32 per cent of people paid bribes during 1994-1999.

"Everyone knows who was the Chief Minister of Karnataka in 1994", Krishna said, obviously referring to Gowda, who held the reins of administration then.

Further quoting from the World Bank report for the period 2001-2004, Krishna said after he took over as chief minister in October 1999, the corruption level came down significantly to the level of nine per cent.

He said, as the Chief Minister of the state, he was able to curb corruption to a larger extent following reforms initiated in administration including enactment of Transparency Act.

Terming the allegations being made keeping him as the target on the basis of a survey report by Gowda, Krishna said when he assumed office, a report of the State's Public Accounts Committee recommending a CBI probe into the Rs 400 crore irregularities that had taken place in Upper Krishna Project came up before him for a decision.

Krishna said laying emphasis on the overall development of the state and not to be accused of any witch hunting, he did not act on that report, which the house committee headed by JDS leader Vaijanath Patil had unanimously recommended.

"For that fault of not referring the allegations of Gowda regime to CBI, I am being penalised by the former chief minister now", Krishna hit back at Gowda, whose JDS is the Congress' ruling coalition partner in the state. Targeting Krishna, Gowda had yesterday (Oct 16, 2005) quoted the World Bank report on 'Investment Climate Assessment 2004' in Karnataka, which had rated Karnataka as number one in terms of corruption as a growth bottleneck.

Krishna also displayed copies of a World Bank survey report compiled between 2001-04 in which it has rated the service delivery system in the Congress Government as a 'miracle'.

The report stated that his Government has made dramatic improvements in service delivery system, he said.

He said during 1994-99, the World Bank had refused to turn to Karnataka and had suspended all assistance and added, "it was I who brought the World Bank team to Karnataka and ensured resumption of loan assistance to various development projects".

On the on-going campaign against his Government, he said within a short span, he brought down the corruption level from 32 per cent to 22 per cent in 1999 and to nine per cent by 2003.

"Sadistic minds can only speak these things without looking into true facts", Krishna retorted at Gowda's allegations.

"I never indulged in cheap politics or witch hunting", he said.