The State government has nominated V. Rashmi Mahesh, Principal Secretary of Revenue Department, as a trustee of the B.M. Srinivasaiah Education Trust (BMSET), Basavanagudi.
Ms. Rashmi will be working as a government representative in the administrative board of BMS Trust for four years.
Following several complaints about alleged irregularities, the government had decided to constitute a committee to conduct an inquiry into BMS Trust that runs prominent educational institutions, including one of the leading engineering colleges in the State.
In a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah this September 28, with Higher Education Minister M.C. Sudhakar, it had been decided to constitute a committee headed by a senior IAS officer to conduct the inquiry.
But for the last three months, the government did not appoint any committee to conduct an inquiry. Instead, the government has appointed Ms. Rashmi as a trustee of the BMSET.
Former Chief Minister and JD(S) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy had raised the issue in the last Assembly and had accused former Higher Education Minister C.N. Ashwath Narayan of entering into a “quid pro quo” to clear a file allowing entrepreneur P. Dayananda Pai’s appointment as life trustee of BMSET.
Mr. Kumaraswamy had blamed Dr. Narayan of allowing a public charitable trust to be converted into a private one.
