Mysore: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah showed he meant business and would not tolerate inefficiency or corruption, pulling up officials and warning them of consequences if they did not do their jobs to public satisfaction or were corrupt at a meeting of the Karnataka Development PrÂogramme (KDP) review committee in his hometown of Mysore on Friday.
Doing a sector- wise review, he tried to resolve several issues raised by elected representatives at the meeting by summoning the ministers and principal secretaries concerned to the spot to answer their queries.
“There is a need for change in the work culture, in the very attitude of officials to their jobs. The hundreds of people who come to Bangalore and line up for the Janata Darshan I conduct once a fortnight bring problems that can be easily addressed at the district or taluk levels if the officials concerned carried out their duties and responsibilities honestly,” he maintained.
Advising district officers to step out of their offices and and visit villages and farmers, he said they must take the administration closer to the people and understand the ground realities.
“It is only when officials visit government hostels will they be able to ensure the students get good food and proper lodgings, and only when agriculture officials visit fields will they be able to address the problems of farmers,” the Chief Minister added.
Revealing that the state would buy paddy directly from farmers at a cost of Rs 1600 and rice at a cost of Rs 1310, he said one lakh metric tonnes of Jyothi paddy would be bought from Shimoga, Mysore, Mandya and Kodagu districts. Ragi and Jowar would be bought for Rs 1800 and Mekke Jola for Rs 1310.
