Bangalore: Shettar Asks Top Brass to Implement Budget Schemes Before Polls

From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Nov 5: Fully conscious of the fact that the countdown for the next assembly polls in Karnataka has virtually started, the Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar on Monday directed all the top brass of the State Government to take immediate steps to implement all the budget programmes before the coming assembly elections.

Avoid red tape and ensure complete coordination between departments and also within the departments, the chief minister said addressing a conference of all the top bureaucrats in the state secretariat, Divisional Commissioners, Deputy Commissioners and Chief Executive Officers of Zilla Panchayat.

Expressing his sense of frustration over the delay in the clearing of files, Shettar said all the senior government officials must get cracking without wasting any time and ensure that they took steps to respond to the problems of the people.

''We cannot let down the people and disappoint them. The Government can live up to the expectations of the people only if the bureaucracy performed efficiently,” he said pointing out that it was essential for improving the image of the government.

The chief minister reviewed the performance in some key departments and ministers including, R Ashok, S Suresh Kumar, Basavaraj Bommai, B N Bachche Gowda, V Somanna, Sogadu Shivanna, Shobha Karandlaje, S A Ramadas and B J Puttaswamy were present on the occasion.

This, incidentally, is the second interaction of Shettar with bureaucrats in the last four months after assuming the office of chief minister.

Confessing that the administrative machinery had failed in tackling garbage clearance issue of Bangalore city, Shettar attributed the break-down in garbage management system to ''lack of foresight.”

The garbage clearance issue, which has attracted nation-wide and even international negative media coverage, the chief minister said posed a challenge to bureaucrats. He said there was a need for the officials to handle the crisis with ''tact.”

''If the senior bureaucrats are really serious and want to deal with the issue, they can definitely find a permanent solution,” he said.

However, he said the problem is coming under control and situation would improve by next week, as fresh tenders had been floated to clear the garbage.

''The onus to retain image of Bangalore, as 'clean IT city’ at the international circuits now lies on the officials,” he observed.

Shettar called upon the top brass in local bodies of all tier two cities to gear up to tackle the issue with the help of advanced technology.

He lamented that there was inordinate delay in clearing files.

Directing the authorities to follow the ''corporate” model in decision making, he asked the secretaries to summon, district level officials to Vidhana Soudha to take a final call on contentious issue.

''Dynamism in administration could only be achieved through inter-personal relationship,” he said.

With assembly elections due by next May, the Government had little time to deliver on its electoral promises.

It is a sad commentary that officials were takings months to sort out a minor issue.

''I don’t want this to continue,” he said asking officials to get cracking without any waste of time. ''The people want results, not excuses,” he added.