Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar has said that a decision on reducing Excise Duty on petroleum products would be taken after consultations with his Cabinet colleagues and officials of the Finance Department.
Addressing mediapersons here on Monday, Mr. Shettar said he would also discuss with the Finance Department officials the financial implications on the State exchequer if the government would have to be bear the cost of subsidising additional three LPG cylinders to customers as was decided by some States.
Mr. Shettar said that the State unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party would support the “Bharat bandh” called by the NDA parties to protest against the increase in the prices of diesel and limiting the supply of domestic LPG cylinders to six a year and introducing FDI in multi-brand retail.
Asked whether the government would support the bandh, Mr. Shettar declined to give any answer.
Coordination
Denying reports that there was no coordination in the Ministry and that he had no control over his Ministerial colleagues, Mr. Shettar said that he was a firm believer in giving a free hand to his Ministerial colleagues in handling matters relating to their Ministries and did not believe in interfering in their day-to-day affairs. Mr. Shettar said the statement of the former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy about the reported rift between him (Mr Shettar) and Deputy Chief Minister R. Ashok, holding the Transport portfolio, in handling the recent strike by the KSRTC employees was a total lie. “Mr. Kumaraswamy is in the habit of taking credit for everything which is not due to him,” he said, Mr. Shettar said that Mr. Ashok had kept him posted of all the developments throughout the strike period and on the final day before the employees called off the strike, the Transport Minister was in touch with him till 1 a.m. on Saturday and took his approval before coming to an agreement with the union leaders.
He said like Mr Kumaraswamy, leaders of all parties had spoken to him to find a solution to the KSRTC strike in the overall interests of the general public and the former Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa also spoke to him on the issue.
