The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Chennigappa wants two Ministers to resign

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, May 17, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Chennigappa wants two Ministers to resign

Special Correspondent

BANGALORE: The row over providing free saplings to the Karnataka Vanasamvardhana Trust headed by Adichunchanagiri Math seer Balagangadharanatha Swamiji seems to have created a rift among Janata Dal (S) Ministers and is also threatening to snowball into a crisis.

JD (S) leader and Minister for Forests C. Chennigappa on Wednesday demanded the resignation of two of his party Ministers R. Srinivas and H.S. Mahadeva Prasad for reportedly opposing the recent Cabinet decision to continue the scheme of providing free saplings by the Forest Department to the above trust comprising heads of various religious institutions.

Apology

Addressing a press conference in Bangalore, Mr. Chennigappa demanded that the above Ministers should also tender a public apology to the 37 seers who are part of the trust that takes up planting of saplings.

"Mr. Srinivas and Mr. Mahadeva Prasad have insulted Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, his Government, the religious leaders and also me besides our tradition. They are jealous of my impressive performance as Forests Minister. Hence, they are unnecessarily trying to oppose our decision," Mr. Chennigappa claimed.

He recalled that the Congress Government of S.M. Krishna had entered into a memorandum of understanding with the trust for providing five crore free saplings from the Forest Department. Such a decision had been taken to increase the green cover in the State with the involvement of religious institutions, students and the community.

Objection

The Krishna Government had given only about four crore saplings and the scheme had been put on hold now as the officials had raised objection to giving the saplings free of cost.

However, Monday's Cabinet meeting had decided to continue the scheme and give the remaining saplings to the trust.

Mr. Chennigappa alleged that Mr. Srinivas and Mr. Mahadeva Prasad had not only opposed such a decision at the Cabinet meeting, but also reportedly aired their views to a section of the press. This was a breach of oath of secrecy administered to these Ministers, he alleged. Interestingly, the Minister for Forests abstained himself from the meeting convened by the Chief Minister in Vidhana Soudha though it mainly discussed the problems related to forest land in Uttara Kannada and Kodagu districts. Instead, the Minister for Forests addressed presspersons when the meeting was going on.

When contacted by presspersons, the Chief Minister remarked, "Who gave him (Mr. Chennigappa) the authority to seek the resignation of these Ministers?"

Meanwhile, Mr. Chennigappa also said that he would initiate disciplinary action against Mangalore Deputy Conservator of Forests Anitha Arekal following the charges of discipline levelled by her senior officers.

Srinivas reacts

When contacted, Mr. Srinivas said, "It is only the Chief Minister or Mr. Deve Gowda who has the authority to seek our resignation, and not Mr. Chennigappa."

He argued that it was his duty as a Minister to make suggestions on important issues at the Cabinet meeting.

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