Bangalore: Advani's Yatra will Give New Direction to Politics: CM
From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore
Bangalore, Oct 11: The anti-graft JanChetna Yatra of senior BJP leader L K Advani, which was launched from Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan’s birthplace Sitab Diara in Bihar on Tuesday, will give a new direction to country’s politics, Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda said in Bangalore on Tuesday.
BJP’s opposition leaders in parliament Sushma Swaraj (Lok Sabha) and Arun Jaitely (Rajya Sabha) were among the senior party leaders who participated in the launch function in Bihar.
The 38-day-long anti-corruption yatra by the former Deputy Prime Minister with its prime focus on corruption, will turn out to be the game-changer as it will chart out a new course of action to the drive against the menace of corruption that affects all sections of society, Gowda said on the sidelines of a function to celebrate the Valmiki Jayanti in the city.
The yatra would help in strengthening the party’s fight against corruption and in cleansing politics besides preparing the organization to gear up for facing the next parliamentary polls.
The yatra, with BJP national general secretary and Bangalore south MP Ananth Kumar, as the in-charge, is expected to touch Bangalore on October 30.
Advani will be addressing public rallies in Bangalore, Mangalore and Udupi in his Karnataka leg of the 38-day journey and move over to neighbouring Goa.
CM rules out Cabinet Expansion, now!
Answering questions from the media, the Chief Minister said the third and probably the last expansion of his month-old cabinet was unlikely to take place in the near future.
He as well as the State BJP President k S Eshwarappa had indicated that the Cabinet expansion was likely to be held after the recent Koppal assembly by-election, which had been won by BJP candidate Karadi Sanganna.
He, however, did not disclose the reason for the decision for not going in for the cabinet expansion. He also did not indicate when or if at all, it will be held.
Gowda said the State Government had already set in motion the process of holding consultations on the appointment of the new Lokayukta to fill up the vacancy caused by the resignation of Justice Shivaraj Patil. ''A decision will be taken soon,” he said.
At the same time, he said the State Government was busy preparing an action taken report on the Lokayukta’s report on illegal mining.
Valmiki Bhavans in all Districts, Taluks
The Chief Minister said the State Government would be constructing Valimiki Bhavans in all district and taluk headquarters and supply books on Ramayana authored by Valmiki to colleges and school libraries.
A Valmiki Bhavan was being constructed at a cost Rs 7 crore at Banashankari in Bangalore.
He said 31,000 Ramayana books would be supplied to government run schools and colleges in the State.
A sum of Rs. 2,913 crore and Rs. 1016 crore had been spent under the special component plans in 2010-11 for the upliliftment of the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, respectively, he said.
Social Welfare Minister A Narayanaswamy said a few departments have not fully utilised funds meant for the welfare of SCs and STs.
He said the State Government was serious in ensuring that the allocations meant for SC/STs and other backward classes were fully utilised.