The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Kumaraswamy concerned over laxity in administration

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jul 02, 2006

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Kumaraswamy concerned over laxity in administration

Staff Reporter

`Ministers are equally responsible for fall in standards of administration'

PROBLEMS GALORE: Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy receiving petitions from people at the `Janata Darshan' programme in Bangalore on Saturday. — Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy

BANGALORE: At Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy's ` Janata Darshan' programme here on Saturday, people came seeking financial assistance for treatment of diseases and for earning a livelihood. There were complaints of official apathy towards problems of people with disabilities and the underprivileged.

Mr. Kumaraswamy directed officials to release funds from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund in some cases. For those needing a source of livelihood, he asked officials to grant loans for the purchase of cattle, opening telephone booths or to buy computers.

A large number of people took part in the programme held at Chief Minister's home office, `Krishna,' on Kumara Krupa Road from 10 a.m. till late in the evening.

Mr. Kumaraswamy personally accepted petitions.

The Chief Minister's attention was drawn to a 14-year-old boy, Ningappa, with cancer whose right leg had been amputated. The boy was moaning in agony. Ningappa's mother, Kamalakshi, sought financial assistance for her son's treatment.

`Can't pay for treatment'

"We are not in a position to pay for further treatment as we have already spent more than Rs. 2 lakh, of which Rs. 1 lakh is a loan. I cannot stand to see my son suffering," Ms. Kamalakshi, who works as a maid, said.

Mr. Kumaraswamy ordered the release of Rs. 50,000 from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund and also directed the authorities of the Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology to take care of Ningappa.

Similar relief was given to others who sought assistance for the treatment of burns and skin diseases.

Some visually impaired people from Gadag, who had been trained in music by Puttaraj Gawai, asked the Chief Minister to appoint them as music teachers in government schools.

T.S. Raghavendra and his sister T.S. Nirmala from Ganganagar here sought assistance for the purchase of voice activated computers.

The Chief Minister forwarded the request to the Secretary for e-Governance, Rajeev Chawla.

There were complaints about compensation not having been paid for land acquired by the Bangalore Development Authority; inaction of the police in complaints of kidnapping, cheating, and dowry harassment; non-implementation of orders of consumer courts; non-payment of compensation for death of Defence personnel; and harassment by officials in giving bus passes and other benefits to people with disabilities.

Chief Minister's concern

Mr. Kumaraswamy told presspersons later that increase in the number of visitors to the `Janata Darshan' programme was a reflection of the laxity on the part of administration in providing services to the people.

"After the legislature session I will take steps to improve the functioning of the administrative machinery and make it responsive to people's problems.

Ministers are equally responsible for the fall in the standards of administration," he added.

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