CM promises Cabinet expansion soon

Karnataka chief minister N Dharam Singh has indicated that the Cabinet expansion of the first coalition government in Karnataka is expected to take place soon, possibly this month.

Speaking to mediapersons on the completion of 100 days in office, Dharam Singh said that the coalition partners -"" the Congress and the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) "" have almost finalised the names for proportionate representation in the ministry.

"The Cabinet expansion will take place soon. The date and the number of ministers to be sworn-in will be decided in consultation with Congress president Sonia Gandhi and JD-S president H D Deve Gowda," Singh stated.

Singh admitted the delay in expanding the 12-member ministry was due to political and other pressing factors. He added that the government had been pre-occupied with unforeseen developments which required greater attention in the last three months.

"Ever since the coalition government was formed on May 29, efforts have been made to expand the ministry's size. As the budget had to be presented in mid-June, we had to first formulate the common minimum program (CMP). Budget session and the initial setback in the monsoon kept us pre-occupied. Then the Cauvery crisis followed in the wake of the demand by Tamil Nadu to release its share of water. Thanks to the rain gods, we overcame the crisis by releasing the excess water to Mettur dam in the neighboring state. We were also able to release water from Almatti dam to Andhra Pradesh following copious rains in the catchment areas," he said.

Stating that the government was working towards an all-round economic development of the state, including infrastructure in Bangalore, Singh also announced the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) would form 50,000 residential sites in Kengeri Satellite Town on the outskirts of the city next year for allocation to Bangaloreans and eligible applicants from other parts of the state.

"The BDA will also allot about 20,000 residential sites in the Arkavaty Layout in North Bangalore from January 15, 2005," Singh added.

The chief minister also listed the achievements of his government in the first 100 days and said that in accordance with the CMP, the state had started distributing 20 kg of rice and five kg of wheat to each family per month at Rs 3 per kg, covering 75 lakh families.

"We have also extended the mid-day meal scheme (Akshara Dasoha) programme up to VII standard from V standard at a cost of Rs 260 crore, covering 2.5 million schoolchildren. The scheme is being extended up to X standard by this year-end. We have doubled the budgetary allocation for agriculture to Rs 840 crore during this fiscal year (2004-05) as against Rs 412 crore in the last fiscal (2003-04). We have allotted Rs 241 crore for crop insurance. New health and nutrition projects have been taken up at a cost of Rs 765 crore, in association with the World Bank, besides health insurance (Sanjeevini) cover to all farmers in the state," Singh said.

Singh added that the even though admission to professional colleges have been delayed due to the the CET (common entrance test) imbroglio, a compromise has been arrived at to the benefit of meritorious and poor students, including non-Karnataka students.

Referring to the ongoing lawyers' agitation over the setting up a separate bench of the Karantaka High Court in North Karnataka, Singh said although the state government was in favour of the bench and had earmarked Rs 20 crore for the same, the Chief Justice had not approved it.

"Besides the bench, we have also represented to the Centre a constitutional amendment to Article 371 for according a special status to the Hyderabad-Karnataka region for it's all round development. This includes composite development of 37 taluks in North Karnataka," Singh said.