Bangalore: No Question of Protecting Mangalore Home Stay Attackers - CM
 
From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Aug 8: Chief minister Jagadish Shettar on Wednesday August 8 said that the Government would firmly deal with miscreants involved in the home stay attack at Padil in Mangalore, and that ''there is no question of protecting anybody."

In reply to a question on the attack on the Morning Mist Home Stay during the 'meet the press' programme in Bangalore, the Chief Minister said, ''As many as 22 persons have been already arrested and further investigation is underway." He also pointed out that the arrested persons have been remanded to judicial custody.

"The Mangalore police have seized two cars and a motor-bike and Rs 5,100 cash allegedly taken by the attackers from the victims," he said.

The Chief Minister declared that the Government has decided to take stringent action under the anti-goonda law against persons involved in similar incidents more than once. ''We are serious in our resolve to put an end to this kind of attacks," he said.

Three Panels Formed to Monitor Govt's Priority Sector Perfomance

Conscious of the fact that he has hardly nine months deliver before the next assembly polls in the State, if they are held as per schedule in May 2013, Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar has constituted three high-level panels for holding weekly review and monitoring of the State Government’s performance and progress in the implementation of programmes in the priority sector areas.

In a bid to demonstrate how serious the State Government is in toning up the administration and winning over the confidence of the people within the remaining nine months – assuming the state assembly elections are not advanced and held in December as is speculated in the political circles, the chief minister has taken upon the responsibility of heading one of the three panels and entrusted the task of heading the other two panels to his two deputy chief ministers K S Eshwarappa and R Ashok.

''We want to tone up the administration and speed up the implementation of the drought relief works while ensuring that the pace of implementation of the various developmental and pro-people welfare schemes is accelerated," he said.

The Chief Minister said he and Deputy Chief Ministers K S Eshwarappa and R Ashoka would undertake a review of various departments which had been distributed among themselves every week, while overall review would be made once in 15 days.

The first priority of the Government was to mitigate the plight of the people and farmers in 146 out of the 176 taluks affected by drought conditions, he said disclosing that the Government expected substantial Central assistance, especially after the recent visit of the Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh to the State for review of the drought situation in the State.
 

Karnataka has sought Rs 11,489 Cr Central Assistance
 
Karnataka has sought a total Central assistance of Rs 11,489 crore for drought relief works and was awaiting a favourable response, he said.

''The state has demanded Rs 7,672 crore for taking up short-term drought relief works and another Rs 3,817 crore for long-term works," he said pointing out that the Government had submitted two separate and detailed memorandum to the Centre through state officials.

Shettar said he would also request the Centre to waive loans taken by the farmers from nationalised banks to the extent possible.

“Eighteen lakh farmers in the state have taken a total loan amount of Rs 19,000 crore. Our request is for a waiver to the extent possible by the nationalised banks," he said.

The State Government has announced waiver of crop loans to the extent of Rs 25,000 taken by farmers from agri-cooperative societies and the government has made a provision of Rs 3,500 crore in the budget for the purpose.

“We will request the Centre to reimburse 75 per cent of this money," the Chief Minister said.
Shettar said the government will develop 30 km of rural roads in each Assembly segment this year as part of the programmes for creating employment opportunities in all assembly segments and also hasten the building of infrastructure development across the State.

In addition, the Chief Minister said the Government was counting on the Union rural development minister to keep up his promise to sanction development of 2,000 km roads in the state under the second phase of Pradhan Mantri Grameen Sadak Yojana with 75 per cent central assistance.

On who would lead the BJP in the elections due in May next year, he said the party would take the decision. ''BJP has a strong leadership at the state and central level and it is party which is more important than individuals, though the contribution of individual leaders for the growth of the party cannot be ignored," he said.

Asked about delay in appointment of Karnataka Lokayukta, Shettar said it is because a case is pending before the Supreme Court. There is no mala-fide intention on the part of the government. “We desire that the process of appointment should begin as soon as possible," he added. 

• Mangalore: Attack on Home Stay - Complete Coverage