Daijiworld Media Network – Bangalore (SP)

Bangalore, Mar 30: State Chief Minister (CM), B S Yeddyurappa, is expected to conduct a major surgery on his secretariat, as he is unhappy with the below par performance of several officials in the secretariat, to give a fillip to the administration. It is learnt that he is in a hurry to do it within a week.

The Chief Minister is insistent that the new programmes he had announced in the budget get implemented at the earliest, and towards this end, he wants to shunt out those officials who do not have enough drive and enthusiasm, in his opinion. After shifting the chief secretary of his secretariat in November last, this is the major step Yeddyurappa is taking. In November, Yeddyurappa, under pressure from Reddy brothers, had transferred his trusted lieutenant and chief secretary, V P Baligar, in exchange for striking a truce with the dissident MLAs. No one has been posted in place of Baligar since then. Senior IAS officer, M N S Prasad, had been posted as secretary to the CM, but reportedly, the official has not been able to satisfy the expectations of Yeddyurappa. Hence, sources expect that he will be replaced during this week’s reshuffle.

A search is on for the post of the CM’s chief secretary, and name of senior IAS officer, B L Sridhar is learnt to be under consideration. Several of the seven joint secretaries and three secretaries in the secretariat are likely to be transferred out, it is said. Some officials are being changed because of the complaints received from the MLAs, many of them from the BJP, about their behaviour, delaying tactics and overlooking their work.