The Karnataka Cabinet has officially accepted the second report submitted by the Justice John Michael D’Cunha Commission, which probed alleged Covid-19 management irregularities during the pandemic. The update was shared by Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Thursday.
As per sources, a dedicated team of officials—similar to the one that evaluated the Commission’s first report in 2023—will now scrutinize the recommendations for implementation.
The second report, submitted earlier this month, covers irregularities across Bengaluru Urban, Bengaluru Rural, Gadag, and Koppal districts. It suggests the government file 176 cases and recover around ₹128 crore from the misused ₹275 crore allocated for Covid-19 response efforts in these regions.
Highlighting the gravity of the findings, the report advises that serious cases be handed over to investigative agencies like the Lokayukta. It also urges the filing of criminal cases to recover financial losses sustained by the state exchequer.
In addition, the Commission calls for departmental inquiries against government officers and staff found complicit in administrative and financial lapses during the pandemic response.
This is a significant move in Karnataka’s ongoing effort to ensure accountability and transparency regarding pandemic-related public spending. The findings may lead to legal and departmental consequences for numerous officials implicated in the report.
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