Reiterating that he did not intervene in the affairs of any other department, Minister for Public Works H.D. Revanna has said if Congress Ministers had any grouse over his style of functioning, let Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara make a statement.
The reports of his role in the transfer of 52 engineers in the Water Resources Department are baseless, he said in a press conference here on Friday.
“The Chief Minister has posted two officers to offices of the Water Resources Department in Hassan. I would not wish to reply to baseless allegations. If a Minister wants officers of his choice in his department, he can consult the Chief Minister and get it done,” he said. Further, he added that he had a good relationship with Water Resources Minister D.K. Shivakumar, but some vested interests were trying to cause a rift between the two.
Hassan airport
Mr. Revanna said the Union government has given its approval for an airport in Hassan. It has sought suitable land for the project. “As of now, 500 acres is available and another 200 acres is required. The work will start soon,” he said. The Minister said the Centre could give approval for the project because of the efforts of former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda.
Earlier, in a review meeting, Mr. Revanna instructed officers to prepare a proposal for a Horticulture College and a Potato Research Centre in Hassan. A meeting would be held in Bengaluru next week on the damage caused to potato and coconut crops. “We will work out a compensation package for coconut growers, who suffered losses,” he said.
