Yediyurappa to visit Delhi to finalise cabinet expansion
Bengaluru, Aug 15: Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Thursday said he will be in Delhi for the next two days during which he would hold talks with party president Amit Shah and finalise the much awaited expansion of his cabinet.
The Chief Minister, who will leave for the national capital tonight, would meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a host of union ministers during his visit.
Yediyurappa said he would also discuss several developmental works concerning the state and central relief to flood and ravaged districts.
"Tomorrow morning at 10 am, meeting has been fixed with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and on certain developmental works relating to the state I will be meeting several ministers, including the Railway Minister among others," Yediyurappa said.
Speaking to reporters here, he said, "I will be in Delhi tomorrow and the day after...I will also talk to Amit Shah regarding cabinet and come to final decision before coming back."
Yediyurappa, who took oath as the Chief Minister on July 26 and proved his government's majority on the floor of the assembly on July 29, is yet to induct any ministers into his cabinet.
With Yediyurappa heading a "one-man" Cabinet and with no Ministers, other than Bengaluru City in all other districts, sub-divisions and taluks, respective Deputy Commissioners, Assistant Commissioners and Tahsildhars had to hoist the national flag during Independence day celebrations on Thursday.
In the normal course, ministers do the honours at district headquarters.
According to party sources, only 10 to 12 members are likely to be inducted into the Ministry in the first round.
Opposition parties, the Congress and JD(S), have hit out at the BJP over the delay in cabinet expansion, and had even raised questions about government's existence.
They had even said Yediyurappas one man cabinet administration "resembled President's rule."
Meanwhile, lobbying has also started within the BJP for ministership with supporters of former Minister Baburao Chinchansur, who left Congress and joined the saffron party last year and defeated Mallikarjun Kharge from Kalburgi in the Lok Sabha polls, meeting Yediyurappa with a demand to induct him into the Ministry.
According to the chief minister's schedule, Yediyurappa will meet Union Railway Minister and Minister of State for Civil Aviation on Friday evening.
On Saturday too he would meet several union ministers.
According to sources, Yediyurappa during the meeting with the prime minister and central ministers will seek central aid for the flood ravaged state, where relief and rehabilitation work is under progress.
Responding to a question about alleged delay by the centre in releasing flood relief, Yediyurappa said, "Why delay...there is a calamity in Maharashtra, Kerala and Karnataka also, they will consider everything..."
Karnataka had recently requested the centre to release Rs 3,000 crore as interim relief immediately.
According to the government, 103 taluks in 22 districts have been affected by floods and incessant rains in the past few days.
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Drug peddler's property worth Rs 1 crore attached in Srinagar
Srinagar (PTI): Property worth Rs 1 crore belonging to a notorious drug peddler was on Saturday attached in Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar, police said.
A double-storey house on eight marlas of land situated at Wantpora Eidgah, belonging to Basit Bilal Dar, a notorious drug peddler, valued at approximately Rs 1 crore, a police spokesperson said.
He said Dar is involved in two cases registered under various sections of the NDPS Act.
During investigation, it was established that the accused had acquired the said property through illicit proceeds generated from drug trafficking activities, the spokesperson said.
Consequently, the property was attached under the provisions of the NDPS Act. The attachment proceedings were conducted in the presence of the two independent witnesses, strictly in accordance with the prescribed legal procedures, he said.
As per the attachment order, the owner has been restrained from selling, leasing, transferring, altering, or creating any third-party interest in the property till further orders, the spokesperson added.
