Karnataka - Belgaum   

Implement Kannada in administration, says MLC

Alladi Jayasri

Policy has remained on paper: `Mukhyamantri' Chandru

BELGAUM: The policy of Kannada as the administrative language has remained on paper, and the Government must immediately initiate measures to ensure that Kannada becomes the language of communication at all levels of the administration, `Mukhyamantri' Chandru (Bharatiya Janata Party) has said.

Making a special mention in the Legislative Council on Tuesday, Mr. Chandru said the Sarojini Mahishi Committee report on giving primacy to Kannadigas in jobs and education was another important policy document that had remained unimplemented for more than three decades. Kannadigas continued to dream of preference in jobs and education in their home State, while non-Kannadigas were enjoying many benefits in the name of investment and revenue generation. There had not been a single case of errant industries being pulled up for violating the pro-Kannadiga policy, he said.

Mr. Chandru wondered whether the D.M. Nanjundappa Committee report on regional imbalances would also be ignored. He said the ongoing special session of the legislature in Belgaum should be used by the Government to announce a deadline for the implementation of these recommendations.

Derecognition of schools

Shivashankar (Janata Dal-S) said the ongoing spree of derecognition of private schools, which were illegally offering English-medium education, was ill-timed and messily handled. Most of the schools, which had opened years ago with permission to teach students in Kannada but were found to be English-medium ones, were only the "small fish." Several private schools run by relatives and families of bureaucrats and influential people had been allowed to go scot-free, he said.

Minister's assurance

Primary and Secondary Education Minister Basavaraj Horatti said he was ready for a discussion on the issue and assured the House that he would not hesitate to initiate action against "affluent" private school managements as well.

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