BSY's new mantra: Increase working hours, cut leave

Tax hike to come in next couple of days

Yeddyurappa expects the  government employees to comply with the directives that Chief Secretary S V Ranganath made clear to his subordinate colleagues on Monday.
Ranganath asked all employees not to avail of leave or engage in personal functions for six months so that they can concentrate their energies on flood relief. Ranganath’s appeal was made at a high-level meeting of ministers and departmentals heads chaired by Yeddyurappa.

The chief secretary, acting on a cue from Yeddyurappa, also cautioned officials against apathy and failure to implement relief programmes.

Firm stand
Clearly, the government is firm that it will adopt a no-nonsense approach in implementing post-flood reconstruction projects, including raising money to fund the programmes.
Once the meeting wound up, Yeddyurappa directed Ranganath to look into the possibility of extending employees’ working hours by two hours per day till the relief and rehabilitation programmes are completed.

New taxes inevitable
Yeddyurappa said the Government will work out all the details for levying fresh taxes in two to three days.

“The decision has been made to impose new taxes. But we are yet to work out the details. In two to three days, a final decision will be taken as to who should be taxed and how much,” he told reporters. The Government, according to sources, was planning to levy new taxes under the VAT and the sales tax to mobilise around Rs 1,500 crore for the flood relief works. In the course of the meeting, the chief minister went a step further, directed all departmental heads to put across suggestions on imposing fresh taxes.
In view of the flood fury in North Karnataka, Yeddyurappa said the Kannada Rajyotsava celebrations, to be observed on November 1, will be a low key affair. The government has also dropped its plans to confer Rajyotsava awards this year.