A marathon meeting of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP), held here on Wednesday, witnessed a face-off between legislators and Ministers although both sides were obviously prepared for the confrontation, with the agenda being set to provide an opportunity to legislators to voice their grievances.
The meeting, in which Chief Minister Siddaramaiah sat through, was adjourned to Monday as most legislators did not get a chance to speak. Sources said several Congress legislators complained to the Chief Minister over the “non-cooperation” by Ministers. Unhappy over not getting constituency-related development works done, the legislators are stated to have urged the Chief Minister to direct the Ministers to take up issues raised by them on priority.
They said, “People, who come all the way from their constituencies to get their grievances redressed in Bangalore, can hardly meet the Ministers. Often the Ministers are not present at the State Secretariat, and even if they are available, they are not interested in giving a patient hearing,” an MLA alleged.
Another MLA said if the Ministers do not show interest in resolving their problems, then it becomes hard for the MLAs to discharge their duties in their constituencies. “The indifference of the Ministers towards MLAs also has an adverse effect on the implementation of development works at the district- and taluk-level. When the Chief Minister has time to meet us, why are the Ministers not accessible?” he said.
Some even cited the garbage crisis in Bangalore that required the Chief Minister’s intervention. “If the Chief Minister has to look into all issues, what are the Ministers doing?” While some legislators raised issues pertaining to development works in their constituencies, most had reportedly come with requests for transfer of officials in their constituencies.
Against AmbareeshSources said Malavalli MLA P.M. Narendraswamy reportedly brought to the notice of the Chief Minister the “differences” in the Mandya district unit of the Congress. He is stated to have expressed his displeasure over the style of functioning of Minister for Housing M.H. Ambareesh.
Yelburga MLA Basavaraj Rayaraddi is stated to have submitted a statement to the Chief Minister elaborating the need to take up infrastructure development in the State.
Except for a few MPs, and Ministers, including Krishna Byre Gowda and M.B. Patil , almost all Ministers and newly elected MLCs (yet to be sworn-in) attended the meet.
