Bangalore: Govt told to restore supply of rice to APL families under PDS
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday called upon his ministerial colleagues and party legislators not to cause embarrassment to the State government by trading charges against each other.
The chief minister, who chaired the Congress Legislature Party meeting, is learnt to have directed all the ministers to make themselves available to the legislators on Wednesdays and Thursdays at the Vidhana Soudha and get their work done on the spot.
Siddaramaiah made it clear that he was not happy with the way the ministers had been treating the party legislators. “The legislators are approaching me with problems that could be solved at the level of ministers. Naturally, they (legislators) are upset. I do not want this to recur. Ensure that the legislators do not have any complaints,” sources quoted the chief minister as saying in the meeting.
He directed the ministers to keep local legislators informed about their district tours and make it a point that they visit district Congress office and interact with partymen.
He assured the legislators that he will hold district-wise meetings with district incharge ministers and the legislators to take stock of the situation.
Siddaramaiah asked the ministers and the legislators to actively take part in the legislature session and make all efforts to defend the government from opposition attack.
‘Restore supply of rice’
Many of the legislators demanded that the government should restore supply of rice to Above Poverty Line (APL) families under the public distribution system.
Middleclass families are upset because rice supply has been stopped. It will be difficult to face the upcoming panchayat elections if it is not done, the legislators are learnt to have said.
Some legislators asked the chief minister to extend the deadline for general transfer of officials. Many of them are learnt to have complained that the management committees of several muzrai temples still have people with BJP affiliations. Steps should be taken to remove such members and appoint party functionaries in their place.
MLA threatens to resign
Devara Hipparagi MLA A S Patil threatened to resign as MLA, protesting against the inaction of the government in solving problems concerning his constituency. The constituency does not have a taluk headquarters. As a result, the officials does not listen to him.
Despite repeated requests, measures were not taken to solve the problem, he said. There is no point in being a MLA, he is learnt to have said. Siddaramaiah reportedly promised to look into the matter.
