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Wednesday, Jun 10, 2009
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Chief Minister tells officials to fall in line or face action

Special Correspondent

Address people’s grievances at local level, says Yeddyurappa

Taking stock: Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa (second left) addressing a meeting of senior government officials in Bangalore on Tuesday.

Bangalore: Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa on Tuesday warned senior IAS and KAS officials to either fall in line and adhere to directions of the State Government or face action.

In what can be termed as an attempt to convey this message to top Government officials, a senior IAS officer, Managing Director of the government-run Rajiv Gandhi Housing Corporation, was transferred by the Chief Minister on the spot at the venue of a daylong meeting of deputy commissioners and chief executive officers of zilla panchayats. The others present at the meeting included principal secretaries to the Government and regional commissioners of revenue divisions.

It was stated that the Managing Director of the housing corporation, which oversees construction of houses for people belonging to below the poverty line families in both rural and urban areas, had abstained from work for several months.

The State Government has chalked out a programme to construct at least three lakh houses during the year.

Mr. Yeddyurappa said he would not tolerate indiscipline of any kind. “Instead of serving people, officials are often attending meetings, and people are made to run from pillar to post. I do not want to hear such complaints any more. Grievances of people should be addressed in all earnest at the local level,” Mr. Yeddyurappa said.

The Chief Minister has decided to attend office work at Vidhana Soudha four days a week and tour the State on other days. Ministers and officials have been told to attend to people’s grievances, particularly the district in-charge Ministers and principal secretaries overseeing administration of a district.

“I do not want you to switch off your mobile phones. You have to respond to people even after office hours. The Government will not tolerate delaying tactics of officials in implementing welfare schemes,” the Chief Minister said.

He directed the officials to regularly conduct Janaspandana programme and provide the programme schedule in advance to his office.

The Chief Minister also directed deputy commissioners to take criminal action against traders in seeds and fertilizers who indulge in black market. He announced that the Government would bear the transportation cost of fertilizers to remote areas to prevent traders from selling them above the maximum retail price.

The South-west monsoon had set across the State and barring five taluks all other places were receiving good rain, he said. Sowing for the kharif season had commenced [on 4.23 lakh hectares of land so far] and there was an adequate stock of seeds and fertilizers, he said.

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