Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his ministerial colleagues are understood to have come under criticism from Congress legislators on Wednesday for not obliging their requests, especially pertaining to the transfers of officials.
At the Congress legislature party (CLP) meeting chaired by Siddaramaiah, many legislators are learnt to have openly taken exception to the ministers' behaviour.
Recommendations by the MLAs on transferring officials at the district level have no value. The ministers have no respect for the party MLAs, the legislators are learnt to have complained.
Some legislators said that the chief minister had not given funds for the development of their constituencies in the revised budget. They also urged him to extend the duration of general transfer of officials.
Senior leader Ramesh Kumar reportedly raised the issue of absence of ministers in the House during the session. “There can be no other more important work for a minister than attending the House. The ministers are responsible and accountable to the House. What sort of message are they sending out by keeping themselves off the proceedings of the House,” he asked. The government on Tuesday had to cut a sorry figure in the Assembly, when the Opposition made the absence of ministers a big issue, forcing the Speaker to adjourn the House for some time. Except for Home Minister K J George, none of the ministers was present in the House when it met post lunch. Besides, some MLAs are learnt to have complained that rice is not being supplied properly by some fair price shop owners under the Re one per kg scheme. Siddaramaiah is learnt to have admitted that he could not allocate enough funds in the budget as requested by the legislators due to financial constraints.
The government will mobilise funds in two years and fulfil all wishes of the legislators, he said.
KPCC chief’s unity mantra
State party chief G Parameshwara, who had kept off the CLP meeting in the past, attended Wednesday's meeting and spoke about maintaining unity in the party.
The KPCC president was, of late, sulking as he was upset with the style of functioning of the chief minister.
Moreover, Parameshwara has been mounting pressure on the party high command to make him the deputy chief minister.
Speaking to reporters, he warned the party leaders against issuing any statement which embarrasses the party and the government. Opposition parties are trying to create a divide between the chief minister and himself, the KPCC president said.
“But we (the chief minister and KPCC chief) are united. There are no differences of opinion. All the party legislators should stand by the chief minister,” he said. He also hailed the budget presented by Siddaramaiah as pro-poor.