Clear pending appointments, Siddaramaiah tells CM

Coalition Coordination and Monitoring Committee chairman Siddaramaiah said Thursday he had asked Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy to clear the appointments of three Congress legislators to some statutory positions that have been put on hold.

The appointment of MLC M A Gopalaswamy as a parliamentary secretary, Doddaballapur MLA T Venkataramaiah as chairperson of Karnataka Road Development Corporation (KRDCL) and Chikkaballapur MLA K Sudhakar as Karnataka Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) chairperson have not been cleared, which led to friction between the Congress and the JD(S).

“We’ve asked the chief minister to issue the (appointment) orders. He will consider it,” Siddaramaiah told reporters after the coordination committee meeting. “There are a few more MLAs whom we will recommend to boards and corporations. We’ve requested the chief minister to issue orders to them at the earliest,” he added.

Public Works Minister H D Revanna, Kumaraswamy’s brother, is said to have opposed a Congress MLA heading the KRDCL that comes under his department. Kumaraswamy, it is learnt, is not keen on appointing Sudhakar as KSPCB chairperson as he may not be technically qualified for the post. Sudhakar has been sulking and has threatened to raise a banner of revolt if his appointment was scuttled.

The coordination committee discussed disgruntlement among legislators on development works in their constituencies. “They will be attended to,” Siddaramaiah said.

The committee also discussed the prevailing drought situation in the state and the steps taken by the government. The government, Siddaramaiah pointed out, had formed four teams headed by ministers to assess the situation across the state. “They’re travelling and looking at drinking water availability, fodder, jobs and so on. We’ve asked them to conclude their tour before the Assembly session commences and that a report on the ground situation should be ready,” he said.