CM to ministers: Perform or Opposition will devour you

Belgaum: Perhaps, this would be the toughest message that Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah has sent to his colleagues in recent months.

At the Congress Legislature Party meeting held at Belgaum on Wednesday, the Chief Minister, after receiving repeated complaints from party MLAs against ministers remaining inaccessible, warned them to ‘perform or perish.’

Sources in the party said that the Chief Minister was annoyed with ministers not being easy to meet, unable to hold review meetings and failing to meet party workers. Directing his ministers to convene the Karnataka Development Programme (KDP) review committee meetings once in three months and to hold district review meetings with party workers on a monthly basis to redress party legislators’ grievances, Siddaramaiah said, “What is the use of becoming a minister if you are not going to perform? I have been advising you (ministers) time and again to hold meetings and work from Vidhana Soudha. But somehow, you have either not taken it seriously or are deliberately ignoring my advice. Any way, party central leaders are keeping a close watch on all of us. Do not compel them (central leaders) to act against you,” he reportedly cautioned his cabinet colleagues.

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle after the Congress Legislature Party meeting, a senior legislator on the condition of anonymity said, “Siddaramaiah felt embarrassed when several legislators pointed out the discrimination meted out to them by ministers like PWD minister, Dr H.C. Mahadevappa, Minister for minor irrigation, Shivaraj Tangadagi and Co-operation minister, H.S. Mahadevprasad.”

The sources added that none of the legislators took the names of ministers, but were clever enough to drop enough hints on the ministers by pointing out the lapses in their departments. “For instance, one legislator charged that Co-operative department officials in Shimoga still take orders from B.S. Yeddyurappa on transfer of officials and former BJP state president, K.S. Eshwarappa too. So, what do we tell our party workers?” the source pointed out.

Legislators wanted the CM to convene the CLP meeting at least once in two months, which was agreed upon. They also wanted the CM to convene party legislators’ meeting whenever he visits districts and increase the grants given to temples.

The legislators also demanded special grants to be allocated exclusively to party legislators on the lines of what the previous JD(S)-BJP coalition and BJP government had done.