A political tug of war seems to be on between the Chief Minister’s Office and the Raj Bhavan over appointment of the Bangalore University Vice-Chancellor. While the Governor’s office is keen on appointing a candidate with RSS backing, the Chief Minister’s office is backing a candidature of Higher Education Minister Basavaraja Rayaraddi.
This is not the first time that Governor Vajubhai R. Vala (in picture) has raised objections over a candidate recommended by the government. He had sought clarifications from the government on various matters, including nomination of MLCs, appointments of Vice-Chancellors and Legislature Bills among others. Now, the Raj Bhavan and the CMO seem to differ over two candidates: K.R. Venugopal, principal of University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering (UVCE) Bengaluru, who has the Governor’s backing; and Sangamesh Patil from Karnataka University Dharwad, the CMO’s choice. Sources in the State secretariat said Mr. Vala, who is the Chancellor of universities in the State, has asked the CMO to explain its choice. His contention is that professor Venugopal has experience and a good record as the principal of UVCE compared to professor Patil. Earlier, too, search committees had recommended professor Venugopal as V-C for several universities, including for the Belagavi-based VTU.
‘Publicity-shy’ govt.?
In stark contrast to the style of the Central government which, many point out, never fails to tom-tom and claim credit for schemes old or new, the Siddaramaiah-government strangely does not seem to care about getting publicity from its schemes.
Last week, it approved a policy on animation, visual effects, gaming and comics (AVGC). A few journalists, who went to the office of the Minister for IT and Biotechnology seeking details of the scheme, were taken aback: the Ministry personnel were clueless about the policy. The journalists had to turn to Minister Priyank Kharge. Fortunately for them, the Minister briefed them from the notes recorded on his cellphone. With crucial Assembly elections due in less than a year, it is true that a large number of Ministers in the government do not brief media on new policies or development matters. This is the complaint of many Congress legislators, who lament that the good works of the government don’t get highlighted before the public.
The Chief Minister, too, has said as much.
A couple of months ago, Mr. Siddaramaiah lambasted officials of the Public Works Department for not making efforts to publicise the many roads works taken up or completed in the State.
The rot in central jail
The central jail at Parappana Agrahara in Bengaluru has been in the news for the wrong reasons. Recent revelations by IPS officer D. Roopa (in picture) , who was until recently DIG (Prisons), about the shocking state of affairs in the jail administration has dented the image of the State government and the State police. Ms. Roopa had alleged that jail authorities have received huge bribes in exchange for allowing many VVIP privileges to their prominent inmate, AIADMK leader V.K. Sasikala, and in the process subverted jail rules. The revelations have shocked the public and an embarrassed government quickly shunted the officer to a new posting. Rampant corruption is also said to be the reason why many inmates enjoy various degrees of freedom and have easy access to good food, liquor, mobile phones and even drugs, depending on the money they can dole out. The JD(S) has added allowing gambling, monthly ‘collections’ from prisoners, and granting parole for a price, to the list of jail officials’ transgressions.
Ms. Roopa’s eye-opening report indicates the collapse of the jail administration and calls for serious jail reforms to streamline the administration and prison security. Will the inquiry ordered into the matter make the powers that be to sit up and cleanse the prisons of the big rot?
Nagesh Prabhu
