Coalition pangs: Crucial co-ordination panel meet today

The Coordination and Monitoring Committee (CMC) headed by former chief minister Siddaramaiah is scheduled to meet on Sunday for, among others, finalising the Common Minimum Programme (CMP) of the coalition government.

A panel constituted to draft the CMP has already submitted its report to the CMC, comprising leaders of both the coalition partners. Though the Congress has agreed to incorporate farm loan waiver in the CMP, many contentious issues such as increasing the quantum of pension for aged persons and downsizing certain subsidy schemes announced by the previous government have remained unresolved.

While the Congress is insisting that all schemes and programmes launched by the previous government should be continued, the JD(S) wants to cut down expenditure on some of them to mobilise resources for loan waiver. Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy is likely to finalise his government’s budget proposals based on the CMP.

The state budget for the remaining part of the financial year 2018-19 will be presented on July 5.

Besides, the issue of officials’ transfers is likely to figure in the CMC meeting. Siddaramaiah, who recently created a political storm by expressing doubt on the longevity of the coalition government, is miffed with Kumaraswamy’s unilateral decisions to transfer officials holding key posts.

The CMC is likely to discuss the appointment of district in-charge ministers. Many senior ministers are mounting pressure on Kumaraswamy to allot them districts of their choice. Some ministers want to be in charge of the districts they represent as MLAs.