 "Karnataka CM offers to hold dialogue with Naxals")
Offering an olive branch, the new Congress government in Karnataka appealed to Naxals to come forward to hold a dialogue with it and said it would welcome their surrender. Spelling out his five week old dispensation's policy on Left wing extremism, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said, "Government is ready to have a dialogue with the Naxals or Left wing extremists. If they want to surrender, we welcome and we are ready for talks with them."
He said Government would also take up developmental works in backward regions and areas inhabited by the tribals, that are prone to Naxal extremism.
"This is the stand of the government. We appeal to all those involved in these (Naxal) activities to come forward for a dialogue across the table," the Chief Minister said during an interaction with journalists.
Asks ministers to be honest
Over a month at the helm, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said he was working towards "visible changes" in administration and asked his ministers to be honest enough to have the "moral courage." "Like charity begins at home..I have told my ministers that they will have the moral courage only if they are honest and only then can their words carry weight with the bureaucrats," Siddaramaiah told journalists here.
He said he has given strict instructions that transfers, one of the root causes of corruption, should be transparent.
"Some changes are happening," Siddaramaiah, who took over as Chief Minister on June eight after the Congress's spectacular victory in the May five Assembly polls, said.
"We have promised the people that we will provide a clean and corruption free administration. We will try very seriously to give a sincere and clean government," said Siddaramaiah, whose party had used graft as the main electoral plank to unseat the BJP government.
He said he was aware that steps taken by government on the corruption issue would have a bearing on Lok Sabha polls. On the Lokayukta report on illegal mining submitted by its former head Santosh Hegde, he said government would act on its recommendation to recover money from officials and politicians who caused the revenue loss after the CBI probing the issue submits its report.
Central Empowered Committee constituted by the Supreme Court was also examining the illegal mining issue, he said. To a query, Siddaramaiah said government would give its go-ahead for further action against officials, including from the IAS and IPS cadres, according to law on the basis of the recommendations of the state Lokayukta.
"There are some 130 cases. But in some cases, action may not be required." The Chief Minister also said he does not want to contest elections after attaining the age of 70. "After five years, I will be 70 years old. I do not want to contest elections after 70 years of age," he told reporters here.
Siddaramaiah, however, added he would continue to be in public life and politics beyond the age of 70. In a remarkable turnaround of political fortunes, Siddaramaiah, essentially a Janata Parivar man, had fulfilled his long-term ambition of becoming CM on May 13 when he was sworn in for the coveted post at the head of a Congress government. He had twice come within the striking distance of the Chief Minister's post earlier but narrowly missed it during his Janata Parivar days.
He said Government would also take up developmental works in backward regions and areas inhabited by the tribals, that are prone to Naxal extremism.
"This is the stand of the government. We appeal to all those involved in these (Naxal) activities to come forward for a dialogue across the table," the Chief Minister said during an interaction with journalists.
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Siddaramaiah the Naxal problem was "not very serious" in Karnataka where only three or four districts had been affected by it. Karnataka Government had requested the Centre to declare these as Naxal-hit districts as that would help in getting grants, he said.
Asks ministers to be honest
Over a month at the helm, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said he was working towards "visible changes" in administration and asked his ministers to be honest enough to have the "moral courage." "Like charity begins at home..I have told my ministers that they will have the moral courage only if they are honest and only then can their words carry weight with the bureaucrats," Siddaramaiah told journalists here.
He said he has given strict instructions that transfers, one of the root causes of corruption, should be transparent.
"Some changes are happening," Siddaramaiah, who took over as Chief Minister on June eight after the Congress's spectacular victory in the May five Assembly polls, said.
"We have promised the people that we will provide a clean and corruption free administration. We will try very seriously to give a sincere and clean government," said Siddaramaiah, whose party had used graft as the main electoral plank to unseat the BJP government.
He said he was aware that steps taken by government on the corruption issue would have a bearing on Lok Sabha polls. On the Lokayukta report on illegal mining submitted by its former head Santosh Hegde, he said government would act on its recommendation to recover money from officials and politicians who caused the revenue loss after the CBI probing the issue submits its report.
Central Empowered Committee constituted by the Supreme Court was also examining the illegal mining issue, he said. To a query, Siddaramaiah said government would give its go-ahead for further action against officials, including from the IAS and IPS cadres, according to law on the basis of the recommendations of the state Lokayukta.
"There are some 130 cases. But in some cases, action may not be required." The Chief Minister also said he does not want to contest elections after attaining the age of 70. "After five years, I will be 70 years old. I do not want to contest elections after 70 years of age," he told reporters here.
Siddaramaiah, however, added he would continue to be in public life and politics beyond the age of 70. In a remarkable turnaround of political fortunes, Siddaramaiah, essentially a Janata Parivar man, had fulfilled his long-term ambition of becoming CM on May 13 when he was sworn in for the coveted post at the head of a Congress government. He had twice come within the striking distance of the Chief Minister's post earlier but narrowly missed it during his Janata Parivar days.