From Our Special Correspondent

Daijiworld Media Network

Bangalore, Aug 20: Though visibly embarrassed by Karnataka Legislative Assembly Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa’s public remarks that there was no difference between the present Congress and previsou BJP governments and that the Siddaramaiah ministry is lacking in transparency, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah refused to comment on the remarks and merely contended that his Government is ``very active.”

``No comments,” was the cryptic remark of Siddaramaiah on Wednesday, when reporters sought to know his views of the Speaker’s critical observations against the present Congress government in the State.

The Chief Minister repeatedly said: ``No comments, no comments on Speaker’s remarks; ....Government is very active.”
The Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa on Tuesday had openly expressed his disappointment at the administration and said there is no difference between the present and the previous (BJP) governments.

Subbaiah Shetty Conferred Devaraj Urs Award

Meanwhile, the State Government on Wednesday conferred D Devaraj Urs Award-2014 on former minister B Subbaiah Shetty from Mangalore.

Subbaiah Shetty was the minister in the Devaraj Urs Cabinet, when the Land Reforms Act was drastically reformed under the Devaraj Urs regime.

The award selection committee headed by writer Dr Marulasiddappa selected Shetty for the award.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah conferred the award on Shetty and said the centenary birth celebrations of former Chief Minister late Devaraj Urs would be conducted in a grand manner next year (2015).

He directed the Social Welfare department to start preparing for the event now itself.

99th Birth Anniversary of Urs Next year

Siddaramaiah paid rich tributes to Urs on his 99th birth anniversary a function here and said
Shetty (80) became the minister for Revenue in the Urs Cabinet and worked hard to implement the land reforms.
Shetty had played a major role in bringing into practice the dreams of Devaraj Urs, for the upliftment of backward classes. He had also served as education minister till 1980.
A grateful Subbaiah Shetty thanked the Government for honoring him with the award.
The Chief Minister said 100 residential schools would be opened this year to enable students belonging to poor families to pursue their education.
Education loans being granted to students at two per cent rate of interest to pursue engineering and medical education, he said.
Siddaramaiah said the Urs government established the Backward Classes department in 1977 and department’s budget increased from Rs 5 crore to Rs 1,445 crore in 2014-15.
Karnataka’s Social Welfare Minister H Anjaneya and other Cabinet ministers attended the programme held in Vidhana Soudha.