CM appoints 8 Congress legislators including Abdul Jabbar, Ivan D'Souza as parliamentary secretaries
Bengaluru, Jan 6: Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy Sunday appointed 14 Congress MLAs as heads to boards and corporations after much delay.
He has also issued orders appointing eight Congress legislators as parliamentary secretaries.
However, Kumaraswamy has not made any appointments to the posts of deputy chairman of the planning commission, special representative in Delhi and political secretary to the chief minister, to which the Congress had suggested names of its legislators.
Out of the 19 boards and corporations for which the Congress had recommended its MLAs for posts of chairman, the chief minister Sunday issued orders of appointment for 14 of them.
According to coalition arrangement, both parties had decided to fill up posts of chairpersons to 30 boards and corporations of which 20 will be for the Congress and 10 for the ruling JD(S).
The JD(S) is yet to appoint its legislators as heads to boards and corporations and remaining one post of parliamentary secretary.
The MLAs appointed as head of boards and corporations include, B K Sangameshwar (Karnataka Land Army Corporation), B A Basavaraj (Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited), Munirathna (Karnataka Skill Development Corporation), Shivaram Hebbar (North West Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation), Lakshmi Hebbalkar (Mysore Minerals Ltd).
However, head posts for few boards and corporations have not been filled as recommended by the Congress, including Dr K Sudhakar for the State Pollution Control Board and Venkataramanaiah for the Karnataka Road Development Corporation Ltd (KRDCL).
JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda and Kumaraswamy had clarified that Sudhakar's appointment was opposed as the Supreme Court guidelines had specified a certain qualification for the post.
Congress MLA Venkataramanaiah's appointment to KRDCL is said to have been opposed by Gowda's son and PWD Minister Revanna, stating that it came under his department.
The Congress had forwarded its list of 19 legislators for posts of chairman of boards and corporations to the chief minister soon after the cabinet rejig on December 22, but according to sources, the move had irked the JD(S) leadership as they were allegedly not consulted.
The Congress recommending some of its legislators as heads to boards and corporations that come under departments controlled by JD(S) ministers, had angered the regional party, leading to Kumaraswamy delaying the appointment.
JD(S) leaders and Kumaraswamy were also angered by the grand old party's move to appoint its MLA V Muniyappa as political secretary to the chief minister.
There were also reports that Congress MLAs had set a deadline of Monday evening, miffed over the delay in appointments to boards and corporations, failing which they had planned to meet on Tuesday to decide on the further course of action.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Lebanon appoints new representative for talks with Israel, rejects linkage to Iran
Beirut: Lebanon’s has moved to underline its independent position in ongoing regional developments, amid attempts to link the country to the broader conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.
President Joseph Aoun, while announcing the appointment of former US ambassador Simon Karam as Lebanon’s representative in talks with Israel, made it clear that Karam would be the sole representative for Lebanon and that there would be no substitute.
The move comes in response to what the Lebanese officials see as efforts by Iran to tie Lebanon’s situation to the wider regional conflict. Iran had indicated that there would be no ceasefire involving the US, Israel and Iran unless it also included a ceasefire in Lebanon.
Some groups, including Hezbollah and its supporters, had expressed support for linking the situations, citing concerns that the Lebanese government has limited leverage in negotiations with Israel. Lebanon is not formally a party to the conflict, and its army is considered weak.
However, others, including Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, have opposed this approach. They view Iran’s stance as an attempt to influence Lebanon’s internal affairs and see it as undermining the country’s sovereignty.
Officials backing the government’s position say the move is aimed at reaffirming Lebanon’s sovereignty and ensuring that decisions about peace and ceasefire within the country are not dictated externally.
They also see it as a safeguard, so that any breakdown in talks between the US, Israel and Iran does not automatically lead to renewed conflict in Lebanon.
