The Hindu : Priority to rightsizing depts.: CM

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jul 25, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka

Priority to rightsizing depts.: CM

By Our Special Correspondent

Bangalore July 24. The Chief Minister, S.M. Krishna, today informed the Legislative Council that the Government was giving priority to rightsizing the administration to make it more effective.

Replying to a question from P. Ramiah (nominated), the Chief Minister said that the 69 departments were working on maximising employee efficiency. In 1996, over 2,300 posts had been identified for abolition. The departmental exercise continued, he said, and added that the Government had not decided to abolish five per cent of posts.

Mr. Krishna said there was need to check proliferation of posts. It was ironical that while the forest area was coming down, the number of posts in the Forest Department was increasing. A job chart was being worked out, and monitoring of the administration would continue, he added. Mr. Ramiah said there were more than six-lakh government employees, and the Government had identified about 20,000 posts as surplus. There was a need to tone up the administration, he added.

Unauthorised `shrines': To a question from Marithibbeg<149>owda (Congress), the Chief Minister said the Government's policy was to remove any unauthorised place of worship, particularly those which caused inconvenience to the public.

He said 92 temples, mosques, and churches had been constructed illegally in public places in Bangalore, and three of them (Infant Jesus Mantap, St. John's Road; Infant Jesus Mantap, Broadway Road; and Nagadevatha Mantap, Nagshettyhalli) had been removed.

KSFC: The Chief Minister told M.R. Tanga (BJP) that efforts were on to make the Karnataka State Financial Corporation (KSFC) a viable unit. The KSFC was, at one time, a flourishing organisation, and it was now in trouble as many small-scale units, which had borrowed from it, were facing problems.

With regard to the KSFC waiving the dues of units, Mr. Krishna said in the Humnabad Industrial town, four units had availed of interest waiver of Rs. 78 lakh, with Satya Deepta Pharmaceuticals being the major beneficiary (Rs. 74 lakh). There were parameters for one-time settlement, he said.

Cases against don: The Minister for Home, Mallikarjuna<149> Kharge, told K. Vinayachandra (BJP) that of the 11 cases filed against the underworld don, Muthappa Rai, he was acquitted in cases as witnesses were not ready to give testimony. The minister assured protection for witnesses, and said the Government would pursue the other two cases against Muthappa Rai.

He said that there was a need to amend the Evidence Act and the Witness Protection Act, and the Law Department would examine the proposal.

Counterfeit notes: Mr. Kharge, in reply to a question from Shashil Namoshi (BJP), said that during the past three years, 263 cases of circulation of counterfeit notes had been detected, and Rs. 3.18-crore worth of counterfeit notes seized. Till date, 513 persons had been arrested, and 57 were yet to be arrested.

LPG-run vehicles: The Minister for Transport, Ramanath Rai, in his reply to Ramachandre Gowda (BJP) said only 65 vehicles run on LPG gas had been registered in Bangalore. The number of vehicles was over 17 lakhs<149>, he said, and spoke about the steps taken to control pollution.

He added that CNG was not available in Bangalore as the Indian Oil Corporation had not decided on introducing it in the City.

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