Congress legislators unhappy with Anjaneya's work

Belagavi, Jul 2 (DHNS): A section of the Congress legislators, including dalits, have expressed their displeasure over the style of functioning of Social Welfare Minister H Anjaneya and termed the Social Welfare department as the most corrupt.

At the Congress legislature party (CLP) meeting held here on Wednesday, the legislators reportedly said that Anjaneya conducts himself casually and behaves in an irresponsible manner. He do not respect the recommendation letters issued by the party legislators but gives credence to the letters sent through ‘agents’, they alleged.

Narayanaswamy, Prasad Abbayya, Shivanna, Shivaram Hebbar and others made their displeasure known against Anjaneya.

The sources in the party said the department was not sanctioning funds for bhavans constructed in memory of eminent personalities.

‘Commission business’ is rampant in the department, they complained.

The legislators also pointed out the Social Welfare department had failed to utilise the grants sanctioned, last year. The minister was behaving as though he was the custodian of Rs 16,000 crore, which has been sanctioned to the department, this year. The minister is a good showman, they charged.

Anjaneya was absent in the meeting chaired by the chief minister.

During the meeting, the working style of certain district ministers too came under the scanner. The legislators said that certain ministers do not even interact with the party MLAs even for the sake of courtesy.

MLA M P Ravindra reportedly complained that Minister of State for Primary and Secondary Education Kimmane Ratnakar had sanctioned more funds to the JD (S) legislators than to Congress legislators. Ratnakar, who was present in the meeting, said in his defence that the funds released was for the programmes approved by the previous government.

Khader under fire too

It is learnt, Narayanaswamy cried foul against Health Minister U T Khader and Minor Irrigation Minister Shivaraj Tangadagi. Jamkhandi MLA Siddu Nyamagouda had a grouse against Tangadagi.

The chief minister told the meeting that all legislators should get involved in the BBMP polls as people from various districts live in the capital. A few legislators urged the chief minister to hold session in Bengaluru for only five days from July 13, in the wake of BBMP polls.