Guv asks Siddaramaiah govt to activate admin on drought issue

PTI Bangalore Bureau

Bangalore, May 2 (PTI) Reflecting a sense of unease with Siddaramaiah government, Karnataka Governor H R Bhardwaj today said the Chief Minister must activate the administration to deal with the drought conditions looming large in the state.

Bhardwaj, with whom Siddaramaiah had a meeting yesterday, said he had told him about the drought conditions and "...So he kept quiet.. Then I said you activate your government. I feel for one and a half months, I have not seen any activity (to tackle drought)".

"There will be shortage of water very soon... A monsoon failure, all your reservoirs are drying up and on this...So I said you must anticipate some solution for this so people don't suffer from all these things," Bhardwaj told reporters here on the sidelines of a function here.

Bhardwaj said Siddaramaiah replied citing the Model Code of Conduct and "all these and that" in view of the Lok Sabha polls. "I said I had been a Law minister, this code of conduct is a model code of conduct for the political parties, it does not bring the government to a standstill."

Siddaramaiah, however, dismissed reports that the Governor had conveyed displeasure about the handling of the situation by his government.

"Drought relief activities are happening continuously. We have given enough money for drinking water. About Rs 500 crore has been released from Rural Development department. I, myself have released Rs 100 crore relief for drinking water. There should be no problem for drinking water supply."

"Wherever possible borewell should be dug there. Where there is no water source there tankers should be used to supply water. We are doing all this," he told reporters here.

"We are also providing employment through Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme," Siddaramaiah said.

Speaking to reporters in Hubli, he said, "We will have to give water, jobs, fodder for cattle to people and stop them from migrating. We are doing our work."

The governor has in recent weeks been making critical remarks about the functioning of the government on several issues. During the meeting with Siddaramaiah yesterday, he had reportedly expressed unhappiness over government spending huge sums to renovate the official residence of PWD Minister H C Mahadevappa, a close aide of the Chief Minister. PTI KSU

Karnataka govt urges EC to withdraw Model Code

B D Narayankar reports

Bangalore, April 21 (PTI) With the single-phase Lok Sabha polls in the state over on April 17, Karnataka Government has written to the Election Commission asking it to withdraw the Model Code of Conduct to enable it to take up developmental programmes.

Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister T B Jayachandra said the Chief Secretary has written a letter to the Election Commission to withdraw Model Code of Conduct.

"We are expecting a response from the EC soon," he told reporters here.

Minister of State for Primary and Secondary Education Kimmane Ratnakar said government was waiting for a letter from EC announcing withdrawal of the Model Code of Conduct to take up programmes including free bicycle distribution scheme.

Speaking to reporters separately, Ratnakar said the tender process involving the implementation of free bicycle distribution scheme had been completed, but could not be pushed forward due to the Model Code.

"Once we get the nod from the EC, we will immediately distribute the bicycles to high school students," he said.

The Minister said the Model Code affected the distribution of free books and uniforms to school students. "By first week of June, free books and uniforms will be distributed," he said.

The government has alloted Rs 90 crore for free books, Rs 80 crore for uniforms and Rs 173 crore for bicycle distribution, Ratnakar said.

He also said the transfer of teachers has been affected due to the Model Code. Transfer of 16,000 couple-employees has been affected and the government plans to bring strict transfer policy soon to put a check on middlemen.