Karnataka cabinet ministers finally allocated portfolios; 17-member cabinet has three Dy.CMs
Bengaluru: Karnataka CM Yediyurappa on Monday allocated portfolios to his 17-member cabinet, on a day that also marks completion of his first month as the CM of the state.
Yediyurappa had taken oath as the CM of the state on July 26, and had formed 17-member cabinet more than 20 days after taking oath. Allocation of portfolios was however put on hold which was completed on Monday.
The much sought after post of Dy.CM has been given to three MLAs. Govinda Karajola, Dr. C N Ashwath Narayana and Laxman Savadi will be the Dy.CM I, Dy.CM II and Dy.CM III respectively.
Another important portfolio, Home Ministry excluding Intelligence Wing was given to Basavaraj Bommayi.
KS Eshwarappa was given Rural Development Panchayath Raj Ministry, Govinda Karajol was given Public Works Department along with additional charge of Social Welfare Department, Ashwath Narayan will be the Minister of Higher Education and IT and BT, Science and Technology.
Laxman Sangappa will be the Minister of Transport while R Ashok will be the Minister of Revenue Department excluding Muzarrai.
Former CM Jagadish Shettar is given Large and Medium Scale Ministry excluding Sugar. B Sriramalu was given Health and Family Welfare Ministry excluding Medical Education.
S Suresh Kumar will get Primary and Secondary Education along with Sakala. B Somanna will be the new Housing Minister of the state. C.T Ravi has been allocated Tourism Ministry while also having additional charge of Kannada and Culture.
Kota Srinivas Poojari will get Muzarrai from Revenue Department, Fisheries Ministry and Ports and Inland Transport Ministry. J. C Madhu Swamy will be the Minister of Law, Parliamentary Affairs, and Legislation while also holding additional charge of Minor Irrigation from Water resources Department.
Mines and Geology from Commerce and Industries Department was given to Chandrakantagouda Patil, while Excise was given to H Nagesh. Prabhu Chauhan was made the minister of Animal Husbandry.
The only female minister of the cabinet Jolle Shashikala Annasaheb was made the minister of Women and Child Development, Empowerment of Differently Abled and Senior Citizens.
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Conspiracy afoot to 'tarnish' image of Dharmasthala: Deputy CM DK Shivakumar
Bengaluru, Aug 14 (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Thursday said there was a “conspiracy” to tarnish the image of Dharmasthala.
His comments come amid an ongoing investigation by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) into serious allegations of mass burials in the revered temple town in Dakshina Kannada district.
“A conspiracy is being hatched to destroy hundreds of years of legacy. It is not correct to tarnish someone just like that. It has all happened due to one complainant,” he said.
Noting that some Congress MLAs have called for action against those involved in the slander campaign at the legislature party meeting, he said, “ I have told them that action must be taken against those who are indulging in a slander campaign. The CM has also said that action must be taken against such people.”
“I have information on this case. Religious feelings should not be hurt in any manner. Culprits must be punished,” he told reporters, according to a release from his office.
Responding to a question, Shivakumar said the Congress party will not allow the image of any religious place to be tarnished.
“We see everyone equally when it comes to religion,” he added.
The SIT, formed by the state government, is probing claims of mass murder, rape, and mass burials in Dharmasthala over the past two decades.
The complainant, a former sanitation worker whose identity has not been revealed, alleged that between 1995 and 2014 he was forced to handle bodies—including women and minors—and that some showed signs of sexual assault. He has given a statement before a magistrate.
As part of the probe, the SIT has been conducting exhumations at multiple locations identified by the complainant-witness in the forested areas along the banks of the Netravathi River in Dharmasthala, where some skeletal remains have been found at two sites so far.
