Out of the 32 ministers in the Karnataka cabinet, at least 24 have criminal cases reported against them, with at least seven of them having serious criminal cases, according to a new report by the Association of Democratic Rights (ADR).
The report comes a day after chief minister Siddaramaiah expanded his cabinet to full strength of 34 by adding 24 more ministers. Notably, there is only one woman on the entire list of cabinet ministers. The veteran Congress leader took the oath of office with Shivakumar and eight ministers on May 20.
According to the ADR report, 97 per cent of the cabinet ministers in Karnataka are crorepatis, with the average assets analysed at Rs 119.06 crore. Deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar is the wealthiest minister in the southern state with assets worth nearly Rs 1414 crore.
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The minister with the lowest declared assets is Timmapur Ramappa Balappa from Mudhol (SC) constituency with assets worth Rs. 58.56 lakhs.
On the education front, 75 per cent of the cabinet or 24 ministers are graduates and above, 2 ministers are diploma holders, while 2 ministers are diploma holders.
The Siddaramaiah-led Congress government in Karnataka announced the portfolio allocations on Sunday, keeping the Finance department with himself while assigning the all-important Irrigation and Bengaluru City Development departments to his deputy DK Shivakumar.
Shivakumar, who hails from the neighbouring Ramanagara district, has been allocated the Bengaluru city development department despite five MLAs from the city being part of the cabinet. The portfolio was allocated keeping in mind the upcoming BBMP polls.
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Siddaramaiah also kept Cabinet Affairs, Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms, Intelligence, Information, IT and BT, Infrastructure Development and all unallocated portfolios to himself.
Among other key portfolios, G Parameshwara was given the home department, MB Patil is the new large and medium industries minister and KJ Geroge has been given the energy department.
HK Patil will look after law and parliamentary affairs, legislation and tourism while KH Muniyappa -- a former Union minister -- is the new food and civil supplies and consumer affairs minister. Ramalinga Reddy has been made the minister for Transport and Muzrai, and Dinesh Gundu Rao is the health and family welfare minister. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge's son Priyank Kharge is the new Rural Development and Panchayati Raj minister.
Laxmi R Hebbalkar, the lone woman in the Cabinet, was given the women and child development and the disabled and senior citizens empowerment portfolios.
