Southern States - Karnataka   

Govt. decisions bring little cheer in N.Karnataka

By M.Madan Mohan

HUBLI June 8. The State Government's decision to create the special post of Development Commissioner for North Karnataka with headquarters in Belgaum and posting Chiranjivi Singh, a senior IAS officer to it, has raised many questions.

The decision appears to have been taken based on the recommendations of the High-Powered Committee on Redressal of Regional Imbalances (HPCRRI), headed by the noted economist, D.M.Nanjundappa.

But the question is has the post been created to oversee implementation of the recommendations of the committee, which among other things, recommended an investment of Rs. 15,000 crore in a seven-year time frame for bridging the gap in development. The answer is "no".

None of the four tasks assigned to the official make any reference to the recommendations of the HPCRRI.

It speaks generally of focussed attention, coordinating the activities, interaction etc.

One of the tasks assigned to the official goes against the very grain of the recommendations of the HPCRRI.

While the committee recommended the abolition of regional development boards, the Development Commissioner has been charged with the task of overseeing the working of regional development boards and CADAs (command area development authorities) too.

If coordination and focussed approach were the only problems coming in the way of development works in the region which necessitated the posting of the official, it means a tacit admission of the flawed approach of the governments in the past.

A new post has been specially created in the wake of the abolition of the post of divisional commissioner which more or less served the same purpose as has been outlined now.

The practice of posting senior officials away from the State capital and in the interior areas started after the Government implemented the command area development authority concept.

Barring the case of S.M.Jamdar, Commissioner for Rehabilitation and Resettlement of the oustees of Upper Krishna, who is based in Bagalkot, no other such office has been proved to be a success so far with the incumbents becoming one more layer in the administrative hierarchy.

If it is perceived as the State Government's reaction to address the neglect of North Karnataka, the purpose is also not served properly as what is required in an election year is a political initiative to remove confusion and not an administrative action. That North Karnataka has been denied development has been documented by the HPCRRI. The report has spoken of the extent of backwardness in each of the taluks there.

While the Janata Dal regime (1994-1990) used to scoff at the cry of regional imbalance, the Congress chose to take cognisance of the disparity during the days preceding the 1999 Assembly elections.

On being voted to power with North Karnataka giving it overwhelming support, the Krishna Government showed signs of redeeming the promise initially, only to withdraw into a shell as the days went by.

The Congress, which promised early action to end the regional imbalance, changed its stance after the polls and sought a study on it.

It took its own time to constitute a committee for the purpose.

The first committee headed by Y.K.Alagh, former Union minister, remained dysfunctional, and it was replaced by a new one headed by Dr. Nanjundappa in October 2000. The committee submitted its report in June 2002. It is not clear whether the Government has studied the report.

What the region needs is additional investment for bridging the gap in development. But what the Government has done is to post senior officials, one as Commissioner of Public Instruction for North Karnataka, the charge of which has been given to Dr. Jamdar, and the other as Development Commissioner for North Karnataka.

\It has also announced setting up of a women's university in Bijapur and a veterinary science university in Bidar.

These cannot be a substitute for stepping up investments to tackle the problem of regional imbalance.

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