The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Chief Minister calls on Governor at Raj Bhavan

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jul 15, 2006

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Chief Minister calls on Governor at Raj Bhavan

Special Correspondent

Appointment of next Lokayukta among issues discussed

ANSWERING QUERIES: Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy leaving the Raj Bhavan after meeting Governor T.N. Chaturvedi on Friday. — Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy

Bangalore: Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Friday called on Governor T.N. Chaturvedi and was with him for about an hour.

Official sources said the meeting centred on the appointment of the next Lokayukta. The Chief Minister brought to the notice of the Governor that the Government, in consultation with holders of various offices as laid down in the Lokayukta Act, had selected the former Supreme Court judge N. Santosh Hegde for the post and sought the Governor's concurrence for the same.

The Chief Minister is also said to have told the Governor about the allegations being levelled against him with regard to the illegal mining of iron ore and the steps being taken by the Government to put an end to such activities. The Government was keen on adopting a mining policy, which would regulate mining and the export of iron ore.

Later when presspersons asked him about his discussions with the Governor, Mr. Kumaraswamy said it was a routine consultation.

On whether the discussion pertained to the future of Minister for Forests C. Chennigappa, who has been named in a bribery scandal, he said he stood by the Minister. "His (Mr. Chennigappa's) work in a short span of time deserves appreciation," he said. He had thrown light on the extent of illegal mining in forest areas in his report, he added.

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