The State Government has decided to confer powers, similar to those currently enjoyed by the Commissioner for Public Instruction (CPI) in Bangalore, on the Regional Commissioners for Public Instruction in Gulbarga and Dharwad. Speaking to reporters on Friday, Minister for Primary and Secondary Education Basavaraj Horatti said due to lack of powers, these Regional Commissioners were not able to take independent decisions.
Replying to a query, Mr Horatti admitted that many IAS officers were unwilling to work as Regional Commissioners in Gulbarga and Dharwad.
“Unfortunately, most IAS and IPS officers want to stay in Bangalore and want the government to create posts according to their wishes. Take the example of Dharwad Regional Commissioner... after Vastrad was transferred, we posted K S Prabhakara there. But within six months, he was replaced by A K Monappa.
Monappa is already making efforts to come back to Bangalore. This is the situation all over the State.
As a result, in many places, IFS officers have been posted as registrars of universities and CEOs of zilla panchayats,” the Minister remarked.
The government has also decided to attach the offices of Joint Directors of Public Instruction in Gulbarga and Dharwad to the respective commissionerates.
“Steps will also be taken to recruit 167 staff required for these commissionerates”, Mr Horatti added.

New recruitment
The Minister said the government also proposed to appoint 2,684 drawing, music and craft teachers to primary schools in the State.
He said the government has formulated new guidelines under which one teacher would be appointed for a cluster of schools.
The Finance Department has given clearance for appointing 238 librarians, assistant librarians, clerks and attenders. Mr Horatti said strict disciplinary action would be taken against those teachers who had abstained from examination valuation work. As many as 247 science teachers had abstained from the work.
Thirty government school teachers have already been shunted out of their districts, while increment of teachers working in aided schools would also be held up, he said.
The government has also decided to revamp the government printing press.
While the press situated on six different locations in Bangalore would be brought under one roof in Kengeri, new colour printing machines would be installed at the government press in Gulbarga and Dharwad.
A decision has also been taken to introduce job-oriented courses in banking, horticulture, sericulture and electrical wiring.