Defending the allocation of district-in-charge responsibilities, which is learnt to have led to rumblings among senior ministers, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said that the decision had been taken after consultations, and that no one is dissatisfied.
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“I have spoken to ministers before the list was announced and also after the announcement. The decision of not allocating home districts was taken in line with the party’s national policy,” the Chief Minister told reporters in Bengaluru. “There has been a comprehensive discussion on the issue.”
The release of the much-awaited district in-charge ministers’ list on January 24 led to some heartburns among ministers. The biggest bone of contention was that ministers were not given home districts to manage. The only exception seems to be B. Sriramulu, who has been elected from Chitradurga district, being given Ballari, which happens to be his home district.
Senior Ministers J.C. Madhuswamy and R. Ashok have not been given responsibility of any district while K. Gopalaiah has been vested with responsibility of Mandya and Hassan districts. Mr. Bommai has chosen to retain Bengaluru Urban district, which has also led to some dissatisfaction among ministers like Mr. Ashok who were keen on being given responsibility of the State capital.
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However, Mr. Bommai claimed, "There is no dissatisfaction on allocation of districts, and no one has expressed it to me either. I have, in fact, spoken to all ministers after the allocation was made. All of us are together and united working for the welfare of people."
Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister K.S. Eshwarappa said there has been an ‘unnecessary discussion’ on the district in-charge allocations. “For someone interested in the State administration, district allocation should not matter,” he said in a tweet.