Oh for the joys of a civil servant’s post-retirement benefits in Karnataka! And now they have been spread wider. The Congress government, in order to keep its police and forest brass happy, has showered several privileges and allowances on retiring Director General of Police and Principal Chief Conservators of Forests, who head their respective forces. These benefits, applicable from April 1 this year, were earlier confined to the IAS. Besides regular retirement benefits, DGPs and PCCFs can now draw a servant allowance (Rs. 6,000 a month), telephone charge (Rs. 1,000 a month) and medical reimbursements as per All-India Services (medical attendance) Rules, 1954. So far, these facilities were available to retired Chief Secretaries, Additional Chief Secretaries of the State government and Karnataka cadre officials, who retired as Cabinet Secretaries and retired Secretaries to the Union government. If the retired officers get employed in any government assignment or commissions such as the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission, Information Commission or Pay Commission, the officials can even choose from servant and telephone allowances applicable either under the retirement category or at rates applicable in the post-retirement assignments.
Dual policy
When a first-time MLA becomes a Minister, and put in charge of the district, he has to find a way to deal with senior MLAs from his party. This was the predicament faced by Pramod Madhwaraj, Udupi MLA, who was made Minister for Fisheries, Youth Empowerment and Sports and also Minister in charge of Udupi district. Udupi has five Assembly constituencies. Kaup is represented by senior Congressman Vinay Kumar Sorake, who lost his berth in the recent Cabinet reshuffle. Gopal Poojary, four-time MLA and president of the District Congress Committee, represents Byndoor. V. Sunil Kumar of the BJP was elected from Karkala and Independent Halady Srinivas Shetty from Kundapur. Mr. Madhwaraj came out with an ingenious solution to deal with the problem. “I have given Mr. Sorake and Mr. Poojary full freedom to deal with issues in their constituencies. Both are senior leaders,” he said.
Should this not be extended to Karkala and Kundapur MLAs as well? “I, too, require some leverage as Minister in charge of the district,” he reasoned with journalists.
Kolar conundrum
They may both belong to the Congress, but it seems that K.H. Muniyappa, seven-time Kolar MP, and M. Anjanappa, Kolar Taluk Panchayat president do not see eye to eye on the affairs and alleged corruption in the Social Welfare Department.
Mr. Anjanappa, who has filed a complaint with the Anti-Corruption Bureau, expressed strong displeasure over the MP’s attitude towards the affairs in the department. Recently, when he visited a sports hostel run by the Youth Empowerment and Sports Department in the town, Mr. Anjanappa caustically remarked that “the sports hostel is being run better than those run by the Social Welfare Department.” He also hit out at the department saying: “Officials in the department are corrupt. The hostel tendering process is not transparent.”
Taking a dig at Mr. Muniyappa, he said, “While serious discussion was taking place in the zilla panchayat meeting, the MP tried to downplay the issue. I don’t believe he will take action against the corrupt.” He also said Deputy Commissioner K.V. Trilokchandra was being lackadaisical in the matter. “The DC knows about the irregularities in hostels. But, he is soft towards those who siphoned off funds probably because of pressure from certain quarters,” he said. That is some tangle there.
All credit to CM?
Is Chief Minister Siddaramaiah claiming credit for all the achievements and schemes of his government? Advertisement hoardings placed at the border town Belagavi seem to say so. The hoardings show achievements of different departments, but they have only the photograph of Mr. Siddaramaiah and none of the respective Ministers. This has not gone unnoticed by youth Congress members who, however, have chosen to remain silent. A few did comment that it was unfair for Mr. Siddaramaiah to project only himself in the hoardings and take all the credit when welfare schemes were collective decisions of the government.
Nagesh Prabhu
Ganesh Prabhu
Vishwa Kundapura
Vijaykumar Patil
