Karnataka   

Krishna happy to be Governor of `well-administered' Maharashtra

Special Correspondent

Declines to comment on coalition Government; praises Congress-NCP combine

BANGALORE: Governor of Maharashtra S.M. Krishna, who had sometime ago expressed a desire to return to active politics, has now said, "I am happy to be the Governor of a well-administered and progressive State such as Maharashtra."

Mr. Krishna, who was in Bangalore, was speaking to presspersons. He had recently told an English television channel that the services of persons such as him who have wide experience in public life should be made use of at the Central level.

To the oft-repeated question on his re-entry to State politics, Mr. Krishna snapped back: "I am ever in politics. Governorship is after all part of the political system, though not electoral politics." He will complete one year as Governor in December.

Mr. Krishna also praised the working of the Congress-National Congress Party coalition in Maharashtra and said that it is performing well because of the "statesmanly approach of the leaders". In that context he declined to comment on the working of the coalition in Karnataka saying, "I am nobody to comment on some other State." He could say about his State (Maharashtra) that the Government is purposeful and is functioning without pinpricks.

Stating that he would not regret having encouraged the Information Technology industry when he was the Chief Minister, Mr. Krishna said that it has brought name, fame and laurels to Karnataka. The industry has also brought foreign exchange and paid taxes. "Let us not denigrate this industry," he said.

The IT industry has expressed its willingness to open units in other centres in the State such as Mysore and Mangalore. Clarifications on doubts about the industry could be obtained in a "civilised manner".

He noted that no new major manufacturing industries have come up in Karnataka and it is only the IT sector which has grown.

He also gave the impression of his disagreement with the view that the IT industry is not helping the local people.

It has trained rural youth to open computerised information kiosks called "Bhoomi".

About the World Bank report on corruption in the State during 2001-04 when he was at the helm of affairs, Mr. Krishna again pointed out that it referred to regulatory agencies and the corruption in the "system". He was only reacting to newspaper reports.

He did not choose to reply to a question on the public perception of high corruption among some of his Ministers and the assets they had garnered.

Mr. Krishna expressed the view that the Bangalore Agenda Task Force (BATF), which he had constituted, should have been retained.

It consisted of well meaning persons with expertise in various fields. Unfortunately, a mistaken impression had grown that it was a funding agency.

The BATF had gone into the traffic problem in Bangalore city and it was on its recommendations, one-way traffic rule was introduced on some of the main thoroughfares.

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