The Hindu : Karnataka / Mysore News : Govt. keen on uplift of all sections: Chief Minister

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Dec 20, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka - Mysore

Govt. keen on uplift of all sections: Chief Minister

By Our Staff Correspondent

MYSORE, DEC. 19. The Chief Minister, N. Dharam Singh said today that the coalition Government was committed to the uplift of all sections of society.

Inaugurating the Karnataka State Jyotipana Gaanigara Conference at Kalamandira here today, Mr. Singh said that concessions would be given to the backward classes and weaker sections. He also added that the Government would not transfer officials on the basis of caste.

He scoffed at media reports predicting the early fall of his Government. He said that despite media predictions, the president of the All India Congress Committee, Sonia Gandhi, became the Chairman of the United Progressive Alliance and he became the Chief Minister of the State. Mr. Singh said that in the same manner, the coalition Government would perform well and outlast its term.

Admissions crisis

He recalled the confusion prevailing in the State over admission to professional colleges and said that the Government had introduced a Bill to tide over the crisis.

"After that came the Uma Bharti issue followed by others. However, the Deputy Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah, and me are committed to providing good governance in the State," the Chief Minister said.

Mr. Dharam Singh listed the decision to set up High Court Circuit Benches in Gulbarga and Dharwad, for which Rs. 20 crore had been allocated in the Budget, among the achievements of his Government. "With this, a 50-year-old demand will be fulfilled," he said.

Regarding infrastructure development, Mr. Dharam Singh said that a three-tier flyover, the only one in the country, had been inaugurated in Bangalore recently. The international airport project will also given clearance by the Cabinet during its scheduled meeting on December 21.

Humanitarian approach

The former Union Minister V. Srinivas Prasad said that humanitarian approach was more essential for a public representative than academic qualification. Unless a public representative develops a more humane approach, the difficulties of the deprived and weaker sections of society will continue to exist, he said. "As long as humanitarian attributes are not found in public representatives, even democracy will not be of any use to the people," Mr. Prasad said.

Though he extended his support to the uplift of the Jyotipana Gaanigara community, Mr. Prasad advised them not to "trample upon the interests of other communities."

`Organised struggle'

The Mysore MP, C.H. Vijayshankar, said that the struggle for development of a community would not pay dividends as long as they remained unorganised. He urged the representatives of the Gaanigara community to submit a list of their demands to the elected representatives and promised to take up the matter with the authorities concerned.

The former MLA and Chairman of the Backward Classes Cell of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee, B.J. Puttaswamy, urged the Government to move the Jyotipana Gaanigara community into pre-category 1 from category 2 A. "The facilities provided under category 2 A are of no use to the community," he said.

Memorandum submitted

In a memorandum submitted to the Chief Minister, the association urged the Government to announce new schemes to encourage Gaanigas.

The Gaanigas have also sought sanction of land for setting up an educational institution, Ashraya houses for the homeless, land and employment. The Gaanigas have sought sanction of loans for businessmen at an interest rate of 2 per cent.

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