BANGALORE: Govinda Reddy Maranura, aged about 70 years, came all the way from Navalgund in Haveri district to meet chief minister Siddaramaiah and to express the difficulties he has been facing in his village despite being a land lord.
His complaint to the CM: despite hold 50 acres of fertile land he is unable to cultivate it because few influential people in his village are stopping him from carrying on agricultural activities resulting in incurring loss of Rs 25 lakh in last couple of years.
Govinda Maranura didn’t go empty handed. Siddaramaiah, in the first ever janata darshana (public contact programme) as chief minister immediately telephoned M N Redddi, ADGP (law & order) and directed him to find a solution after discussing with district SP. The CM even arranged a police jeep for Maranura and arranged a meeting with Reddi for quick solution.
In a similar case, Doddamma, aged about 75 years, from Halagur in Mandya district also complained about her agricultural land being encroached. The CM spoke to Mandya SP and ordered to resolve the issue at the earliest.
As land encroachment cases were pouring in Janata darshana, Siddaramaiah ordered all the DCs, SPs, police commissioners, DCPs, additional SPs, assistant commissioners and tashildars to keep their phone free between 9am to 12.30pm as he would call them directly while attending Janata darshan programme on every Tuesday and Friday.
The commutation from police headquarters reached the police so quick that one of the DCP present during janata darshan got the message within ten minutes after CM directed that their mobile phones should be kept free.
Siddaramaiah patiently heard grievances and in some cases offered quick solutions. Government employees, particularly from his home turf Mysore and Varuna, seeking transfers, dominated the programme. Some of the Congress party workers even urged the CM to make appointments to boards and corporations. The CM, however, he would do so after completion of budget session.
CM comes to aid of a child
Jaideesh, a four-year old, studying LKG, has been asked to not to come to school by the management of Navodaya Vidyavardhka School in Vidyaranyapura in Bangalore following skin disorder the child is suffering from. Child’s parents Harish and Rachna were among the aggrieved people who met CM during janata darshan. According to the Jaideesh parents, school authorities cancelled his admission after other parents feared that their children would also contact skin disorder and threatened not to send their children to school.
Interestingly, Rachna works as computer teacher in the same school. “Despite producing medical certificate that it was genetical disorder and is not communicable, school management has cancelled the admission,” Harish, a tax consultant said. The CM immediately directed the local block education officer (BEO) to meet the aggrieved parents and resolve the issue with school authorities.
Shepherd urges for 100 sheep
A shepherd came all the way from Kanakapura to attend janata darshan seeking CM to give compensation for the sheep he lost. According to him, 100 fully grown sheep died due to land slide while grazing. After patiently hearing to him, Siddaramaiah checked with animal husbandry department whether there was provision for compensation and asked the officials to find solution.
Physically challenged forgets to apply for job
N Dinesh, physically challenged from Channagiri in Davanagere district in search of employment told the CM that he forgot to see the job advertisement for guest lecturers in newspapers some days ago and the government should help him getting job. Before asking the departments to take his petition, Siddaramaiah in lighter vein said the government itself will read newspaper and apply for him in future.
Bheemanagouda Sharanagouda Biradar from Sindagi in Bijapur district demand the CM to call for fresh applications for police sub-inspector post by next couple of days as he would become ineligible after crossing age bar for the post on July 12. Biradar said he is already 28 years and his father wanted him to become SI. Siddaramaiah smiled at him and he would look into the request.
