TORANAGAL: Chief Minister N. Dharam Singh said on Saturday that the expansion of the Ministry and the process of nominating chairmen of various boards and corporations will begin after October 2.

"We are waiting for the Paksha masa" to be over. We will try to fill all vacant posts before October end," he added.

Mr. Dharam Singh was responding to questions by presspersons at the Jindal airport here during his brief halt.

Aerial survey

Mr. Dharam Singh was on his way to Bidar for an aerial survey of flood-affected villages there along with Minister for Water Resources M. Mallikarjun Kharge, and Minister for Forests Gurpadappa Nagmarpalli.

The Chief Minister said that the Ministry expansion and nomination of chairmen will be discussed with All India Congress Committee General Secretary in-charge of Karnataka A.K. Antony who will visit the State on September 30 and finalise a list of nominees and other modalities.

Referring to the naxal problem, he said the Union Government has been requested to extend all assistance, including deployment of a Naga battalion as had been done in Chattisgarh. He hoped that the Union Government's response will be favourable.

According to him, the naxal menace is a result of socio-economic problems and efforts are being made to develop the naxal-affected area.

The Department of Forests has been asked to give permission for development works in the forest areas where tribal people are residing to end the menace, he said.

Naxal menace

On the reports about naxal activities in the Kollegal area on the inter-State border, Mr. Dharam Singh said they are rumours. However, a constant vigil is being kept in that area.

Mr. Dharam Singh said that he is in constant touch with Maharashra Chief Minister Vilas Rao Deshmukh with regard to the release of water in that State which is causing floods in several villages in Bidar district.

He said Rs. 392 crores has been released to flood-affected districts in the State. Of the amount, Rs. 139 crores has been released to Belgaum, Rs. 50 crores to Bagalkot, Rs. 26 crores to Bijapur, Rs. 34 crores to Gulbarga and Rs. 23 crores to Raichur districts. Of the total amount released, the share of the State Government is Rs. 50 crores.

Illegal mining

Regarding illegal mining in the district, he said that he has instructed the Deputy Commissioner and the Superintendent of Police to take steps to prevent it.

He has constituted a committee to enhance the royalty for mining iron ore, he added.

When presspersons pointed out that Superintendent of Police Pankaj Kumar Thakur has submitted a report seekin special powers to curb illegal mining in the district, Mr. Dharam Singh said that he will take action after studying it.

On the demand by the State Government employees for interim relief in their pay scales, Mr. Dharam Singh said that the Fifth Pay Commission is working on it and the Government is awaiting the commission's recommendations.

Funds

He said that the State Government will allocate more funds to Hampi Utsav, a three-day mega cultural festival, to be held at Hampi for three days from November 3.

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