Discontent MLAs: Siddaramaiah meets Home, RDPR ministers separately

After a section of MLAs complained about the ‘inaccessible’ ministers during the Congress Legislature Party meeting recently, Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah on Sunday held one-to-one meeting with Home Minister G Parameshwara and Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge.

A group of legislators led by Aland MLA B R Patil and Yelburga MLA Basavaraj Rayareddy, is said to have complained that they had not been able to get work done in their constituencies, and have not been granted transfers (of government servants) as requested.

After the twin meetings, it is reliably learnt that Siddaramaiah closeted with Parameshwara in a ‘secret location’ to vet the transfer list handed over to the Home minister by party leaders, legislators and others.

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The chief minister is likely to repeat this exercise with other ministries in the next couple of days in order to address the legislators’ grievances.

A senior leader close to the CM told DH: “Officers of their choice especially in Home, Revenue and RDPR departments, hold the key for the legislators in stamping their authority (in their constituencies). Sometimes transfer issues turn out to be a tricky affair with the MLAs, local party leaders and the district minister batting for the officer of their preference. In the battle for one-upmanship, legislators in a bid to please their supporters or keep a promise made during elections, come out in open to push their case,” the leader said.

‘Ministers need time’

Meanwhile, reacting to B R Patil’s outbursts in the CLP meeting, Industries Minister, M B Patil told reporters on Sunday that sometimes ministers’ hands get tied as the present rules allow only 6% out-of-turn transfers.

“Even if a minister wants to help MLAs, sometimes it gets extremely difficult to fulfil recommendations made by MLAs. Almost all MLAs want transfers in Home, Health, Revenue and RDPR departments. They must give some more time to ministers to settle down and all their demands will be met in phases. I don’t see anything wrong in what the legislators raised (at the CLP meeting) but they need to give some time. We are still two-and-a-half months old,” he said.