Cong govt in K'taka mired in competition for CM, Dy CM posts and internal rifts: Shobha Karandlaje
Accusing the Congress government in Karnataka of being in deep slumber and mired in competition for Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister posts and internal rifts, Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje on Sunday urged the CM Siddaramaiah and his administration to "wake up" and save the people.
Highlighting health issues such as dengue cases, also deteriorating law and order situation, stalled infrastructure projects in the state and the city among others, the Member of Parliament from Bangalore North accused the Siddaramaiah government of having forgotten the people amid its internal rifts.
"There are several issues in the city and the state, and there is no government here that responds to it. This government is in a deep slumber. There is no use of telling anything to this government, it will be like pouring water on a rock," Karandlaje said.
While speaking to reporters here, she said the only thing that is happening in this government is, competition as to who should become the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister, and because of this competition and internal rift, the government that is there in Karnataka has forgotten the people of the state.
"The government has to wake up immediately before more lives are lost. Also the law and order situation has deteriorated, there are several rape, murder, daylight murder cases that are coming out, but there is a situation where there is no one to question. So I urge the government and the Chief Minister to wake up and protect people," she added.
Noting that along with dengue, there are also reports about Zika virus cases in Karnataka, Karandlaje said people are getting admitted to hospitals and there are issues concerning the availability of medicines and their prices.
Though the government has fixed a rate for dengue tests, no one is following it, she said, "there are reports about deaths due to dengue in Bengaluru, the government system has collapsed, the health department is in deep slumber."
No work is getting completed, infrastructure projects have been stopped half-way without completion, leading to accumulation of water due to rains and generation of mosquitos there, she said, "Bangalore water supply and sewerage board (BWSS) is not functioning efficiently, there are leakages in pipes which have also led to accumulation of water and sewage. Neither the government or its departments are looking into it."
Further alleging that neither the Chief Minister nor Deputy Chief Minister or Ministers in the state government have gone for rounds to inspect the projects that are lying without completion or where water is accumulating leading to mosquito generation, Karandlaje said there are marshals in Bengaluru, but they are for collecting money or indulged in money-making, and not for public work.
Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) officials and engineers are not visiting any wards in the city, she alleged.
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Chhattisgarh govt enforces austerity measures, restricts foreign travel and cuts convoy vehicles
Raipur (PTI): The Chhattisgarh government on Saturday rolled out a set of austerity measures, including restricted use of convoy vehicles for the chief minister, ministers and heads of state-run bodies, besides curbs on foreign travel at government expense.
The state has decided to implement the cost-saving steps with immediate effect to ensure efficient management of financial resources and discipline in public spending, said a directive issued by Finance Secretary Rohit Yadav.
The move follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal for austerity amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia.
The order said that only essential vehicles should be used in the convoys of the CM, ministers and office-bearers of corporations, boards and commissions, while ensuring restrained use of other government resources.
It also directed departments to take steps for a phased conversion of all official vehicles into electric vehicles in order to promote the use of EVs.
As part of fuel-saving measures, expenditure on petrol and diesel for government vehicles should be kept to a minimum, the directive said.
Vehicle pooling arrangements should also be implemented for officials of departments travelling to the same destination, it added.
The order further stated that foreign travel of government employees at state expenses will be completely prohibited except under extremely unavoidable circumstances. In such cases, prior approval of the CM will be mandatory.
To reduce administrative expenditure, departments have been instructed to hold physical meetings preferably only once a month and encourage virtual and online meetings. Regular departmental review meetings should compulsorily be conducted through video conferencing, it said.
The government also stressed the need for energy conservation in its offices, directing that all electrical equipment, including lights, fans, air-conditioners and computers, must be switched off after office hours.
The directive will remain effective till September 30 this year.
Amid the war involving the US, Israel and Iran, Modi has suggested reducing petrol and diesel consumption, using metro rail services in cities, carpooling, increased use of EVs, utilising railway services for parcel movement and working from home to conserve foreign exchange.
