Mandya, July 5 (IANS): Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy has stated that the Congress government in Karnataka has prevented the District Commissioner and officers from attending the ‘Janata Darshan’ (public grievance) programme in Mandya chaired by him, through a notification.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, Kumaraswamy stated, “I had requested the DC of Mandya to attend the event. However, the state government has issued a notification asking them not to attend. This shows the trivial mindset of the state government.”

The circular was prepared in the cabinet meeting on Thursday, stating that only the Chief Minister and the state ministers have the power to hold ‘janata darshan’ programmes. The officers are also given directions, Kumaraswamy said.

When Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar’s brother D.K. Suresh was in power, he held a meeting in Ramanagara District Commissioner’s office. In the name of the ‘Jana Spandana’ programme, the officers were made to visit all villages and towns. Who gave permission for this? Which rule provided that scope?, Kumaraswamy questioned.

“I am a Union minister who came to listen to woes and accept submissions by people. They are trying to stop it with new laws. This is not my personal work. They won’t get anything out of this act,” Kumaraswamy attacked.

Commenting on the development, the state’s PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi, a close associate of CM Siddaramaiah, maintained that the officers will have to attend the programme after being asked to be present by Union Minister Kumaraswamy. It is not a good development if officers remain absent. When Belagavi MP Jagadish Shettar held the meeting, all officers attended. I don’t know what happened in Mandya, he added.

Sources stated that it is being done with the insistence of Dy CM Shivakumar.