Yeddyurappa asks officials not to let political turmoil hit administration

Yeddyurappa asserts that his Government is stable

EXUDES OPTIMISM: Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa addressing the Secretaries’ review meeting at the Vidhana Soudha, on Thursday. Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy

Though embroiled in the ever-complicating drama, Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa on Thursday mustered courage to declare that his government was stable and it would complete its term and asked top bureaucrats not to allow the administration to be overshadowed by the political turmoil.

Mr. Yeddyurappa made this amply clear at a hurriedly-convened meeting of the Principal Secretaries, led by Chief Secretary S.V. Ranganath as well as a media conference, held immediately thereafter. Mr. Yeddyurappa told officers not to be influenced by the political upheavals and continue to concentrate on development activities.

He said that the on-going developments may or may not have impacted the administration, but, he wanted to have an exchange of ideas on correcting the mistakes and activate the government machinery. He told the officers that they should not have any confusion over the continuation of his regime.

Charge denied

Rebutting the Opposition charge that there was no development, he said that the government achieved 29 per cent in economic terms and made a plan expenditure of Rs. 9,203 crore during the five months till August this year as against Rs. 7,108 crore in the corresponding period last year. It accounted for Rs. 2,095 crore more.

Mr. Yeddyurappa said Rs.12,812 crore was released during the period as against Rs. 5,123 crore last year, which accounted for an increase of Rs. 7,689 crore. Of the 58 projects announced in his budget, orders have been issued in respect of 33 and it would come before November 15 for others. He said that the officers were told to take measures to achieve 75 per cent progress by December.

Of the 389 projects for which MoUs were signed during the Global Investors Meet, 94 had been taken off and the district in-charge Secretaries were implementing them. Ashraya houses would be built by February. His Secretary, Lakshminarayana, said that construction of 50,000 houses would be over by February in the flood-hit districts and they would be distributed. In 20 villages,, the work had been delayed due to land acquisition, as the villagers were not ready to part with it.