Why are officers napping, asks Kagodu

Assembly Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa has stirred a hornet’s nest once again. 

Days after rapping the ‘inept’ Siddaramaiah government for lack of transparency and ineffective governance, Thimmappa wondered on Monday whether there was an administration (government) in place in the State. “If there is indeed an administration, why are the officers sleeping?” he asked.

Thimmappa was speaking to reporters after inaugurating a workshop on the Act. The Speaker said that he was requesting the chief minister with folded hands to implement the Act.

He expressed anguish that the Forest Dwellers’ Act, which came into force six years ago, was yet to be implemented. The Speaker said that the government should not push the tribals into the arms of Naxals, by delaying the distribution of title deeds of their lands in villages.

“Should the people take up the gun for getting the title deeds?” the Speaker asked. “Why should we have laws if they are not implemented? Call the officers and get the work done,” he said.

However, he expressed the hope that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah would keep his word of working pro-actively.

‘Not aspiring for berth’

Thimmappa said that he was not an aspirant for a ministerial berth. 

Addressing a press conference, the Speaker said that he was only alerting the government to work for the welfare of the people.

Thimmappa said that choosing ministers was the chief minister’s prerogative. He expressed happiness at the Congress winning two seats in the Assembly byelections.