'Sites for all the poor in 2 years'

On the first day of his fourth year in office, Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa said the Government would strive to provide sites for all the poor within two years, and also take measures to ensure Bangalore retained its ‘IT capital’ tag.

Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, after releasing a 96-page book on the achievements of the BJP government during the last three years, Yeddyurappa claimed that the State government, through its development programmes and projects, had laid the foundation for the progress of Karnataka for the next 10 years.

Yeddyurappa said the various programmes of the government had directly benefited 1.84 crore citizens in the State in the form of subsidies.

Flanked by several of his Cabinet colleagues, the chief minister expressed confidence that he would be in a position to present a Rs one lakh crore budget next year, if the buoyancy in resource mobilisation continued through the fiscal.

“The government has been focusing on core areas like rural development, agriculture and water resources, and we now plan to focus on all sectors during the next two years,” he said.

IT capital

When his attention was drawn to a survey by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India on the threat of Bangalore losing its ‘IT capital’ tag with more companies expressing interest in setting up shop in the National Capital Region of Noida and Gurgaon, Yeddyurappa said he would convene a high-level meeting with the IT and BT sector representatives within a fortnight.

“If there are any remedial measures that need to be taken, we will not hesitate,” he said.

The chief minister said it was the government’s earnest desire to provide houses or sites to all families below the poverty line (BPL).

“I will soon convene a meeting of deputy commissioners to work out a blueprint to provide sites for the poor. Our endeavour is to make the State hut-free within the next two years,” he said.

He said no BPL family in the State would be deprived of ration card.

“Bogus ration cards in the system would be weeded out and those deserving would get their dues,” Yeddyurappa said.

He said he would also extensively tour the State in an effort to curb the menace of middlemen. The Government will put in place a system to ensure that its programmes directly reach the people, he added.

Clean chit to Reddys

Replying to queries, Yeddyurappa gave a clean chit to the Reddy brothers on the issue of illegal mining.

“It is not correct to say that they are involved in illegal mining. There is no truth in it,” he said.

Yeddyurappa said he was awaiting the final report on illegal mining to be submitted by the Lokayukta. Action would be initiated against those indicted in the report, he said.