CM tells party legislators not to openly air views on KPME Bill

With his party legislators divided in their opinion on the controversial private medical establishment bill, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday asked them not to openly express their views on the issue.

Siddaramaiah, who chaired the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting at Suvarna Soudha, is learnt to have assured that he will resolve the issue after holding a meeting with Health and Family Welfare Minister K R Ramesh Kumar.

Private medical doctors have been vehemently opposing the bill, demanding that some of its contentions provisions like jail term for medical negligence, capping of fee for medical services and setting up of a redress committee should be diluted. But Ramesh Kumar has been strongly defending the bill, arguing that it is in the interest of the common man.

When contacted, Ramesh Kumar declined to comment on the issue, saying all questions should be posed to the chief minister.

Internal reservation

The chief minister is learnt to have promised to soon convene a meeting of senior dalit leaders of the party to take a decision on implementing the Justice A J Sadashiva Commission report on providing internal reservation for SCs. Social Welfare Minister H Anjaneya raised the issue and demanded that the report be implemented. Many legislators of the party raised an objection to this.