Draft Of Karnataka Governance Roadmap In 10 Days, Says Siddaramaiah

Bengaluru: The common minimum programme or the agenda of governance of Karnataka's Congress-JD(S) government will be drafted by a five member committee in the next 10 days. This was among the decisions taken by the coordination committee that held its first meeting under the chairmanship of former Congress Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Other members of the coordination committee include Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, his deputy G Parameshwara, Congress in-charge for Karnataka and JD(S) leader Danish Ali.

"Congress in this election had put a manifesto before the people for the next five years. So had the JD(S).  It is difficult to include everything from both. Since this is a coalition government, we will have a common minimum programme", said Mr Siddaramaiah.

The committee that will draft the document will have three members from the Congress and two from the JD(S). The coordination committee will take a call on it and finally approve the common minimum programme, said Mr Ali.

The coalition government will continue some of the programmes launched by the earlier government headed by Mr Siddaramaiah. Some of the schemes of the Congress government, including rice at one rupee per kilogramme for the poor and the introduction of Indira Canteens where breakfast costs Rs 5 five and lunch and dinner Rs 10 rupees had been well-received.  

The heads of Boards and Corporations will also be appointed in a week based on the ratio earlier agreed upon --- two-thirds for the Congress and the rest for the JD(S). 

Another challenge in the days ahead would be the promises made to waive farmer loans. In a meeting called by Mr Kumaraswamy last week, farmer leaders wanted to know the progress of his promise to waive farm loans up to Rs 1 lakh. At that meeting, he had asked for 15 days to work out issues like identifying poorer farmers instead of benefitting those with larger land holdings. 

With resentment brewing in the Congress over the induction of ministers, the party faces a challenge in filling the remaining xxx berths in the 34 member cabinet. The cabinet expansion took place two weeks after the chief minister and deputy chief minister were sworn in. 

The coalition which its partners say will contest the 2019 Lok Sabha polls together has already notched up an electoral success. This week, the assembly seat of Jayanagar which was earlier held by the BJP was won by Congress candidate Sowmya Reddy with support from the JDS. The narrow margin of victory --- less than 3000 votes ahead of the BJP's BN Prahlad --- indicates that the result may have been quite different had the JD(S) put up a separate candidate.