Ministers, officials lack discipline, don't meet legislators: Cong MLA

Basavaraj Rayaraddy, Congress MLA from Yelburga, has complained to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah about “lack of discipline” among ministers and top bureaucrats, saying neither were accessible to legislators. 

Rayaraddy shot off two letters to Siddaramaiah, explaining how he was not able to communicate with ministers and officials in Vidhana Soudha. While the first letter regarding officials’ “indiscipline” was written about one-and-a-half months ago, the second letter over the functioning of ministers was sent a few weeks ago. 

When contacted by Deccan Herald on Sunday, Rayaraddy confirmed that he wrote the letters, saying he was “fed up” with “waiting indefinitely” for principal secretaries and secretaries ministers as well as ministers to draw their attention to the problems faced by the public, and development works to be taken up in his constituency. 

“I have no grouse against Siddaramaiah. He is a good administrator. It is possible to meet him but not his ministerial colleagues who hardly visit the secretariat,” Rayaraddy said. “We MLAs are made to wait in the ministers’ chambers for hours but eventually we don’t get to interact with them because their places are always crowded,” he said. 

Rayaraddy pointed out that in Delhi, Union ministers and MPs meet people by appointments. But in Bangalore, there is no such system. “Neither officers nor ministers return calls when we leave a message. Nobody even bothers to reply to our SMSes. No time has been specified to meet them either. How can MLAs convey their ideas or problems or discuss development of their constituencies? It’s a humiliating experience,” he said. 

When asked whether Siddaramaiah had replied to his letters, the MLA said the chief minister did not counter him. To a question, Rayaraddy said people in his constituency “wanted” him to be the Congress candidate from the Koppal constituency in the Lok Sabha election. 

‘Transfer an industry’ 

Rayaraddy also alleged that the transfer of government employees had become a “big industry” in the State, despite the introduction of online counselling for the purpose. 

“In Vidhana Soudha, government employees throng ministers’ chambers, seeking transfers. Even we, MLAs, and political party workers are to be blamed for this situation. We have become cheap in the eyes of public,” he said.