Southern States - Karnataka

An exercise in appeasement?

By S.K. Ramoo

BANGALORE June 28. The restructuring of the Karnataka Ministry, including inducting of nine new Ministers and dropping of five undertaken by the Chief Minister, S.M. Krishna on Thursday, is very much akin to the concept ``eager to strike, but afraid to wound''.

The largely-expected and much-delayed restructuring of the Ministry has ended up as an exercise in ``accommodation and appeasement''. Mr. Krishna has given representation to all 27 districts and, to some extent, fulfilled the caste and community aspirations.

In the process he is perceived to have given the go-by to merit. Out of the deserving two, only one junior Minister has been promoted to the Cabinet rank and he has not shed the deadwood and those facing corruption charges.

Mr. Krishna did not have a free hand when he became the Chief Minister in the selection of his ministerial team as the process was subject to various ``tugs and pulls'' by influential members of the Congress high command.

This time around, he has lost another opportunity to have a truly dynamic, compact team.

The expansion of the Ministry from (44 to 48) is widely seen as a case of ``old wine in new bottle''. The mega-size militates against administrative norms and contrary to the recommendations of the State Administrative Reforms Commission which advocated a compact Ministry.

There is the perception that dynamic and promising people have been left out. No effort has been taken to prune the excessive representation given to backward Gulbarga.

Although there are eight Lingayats in the Ministry as against six Vokkaligas, the former are complaining that most of their members have been given lighter portfolios. Representation for Muslims appears to be more than adequate compared their population. The numerically-large backward classes could have been given larger representation.

Mr. Krishna has said in public that he has dropped five Ministers not because of their `` poor performance'' but for ``other reasons'' which he has not revealed. No considerations of administrative prudence seem to have influenced the decisions.

``Political'' compulsions might be behind the exercise but merit is the casualty. The non-elevation of B.K. Chandrashekar, observers feel, is a case in point.

The widespread raids conducted by the Lokayukta, Justice Venkatachala, in unearthing corruption and irregularities have nailed the claim made by the Congress leadership that the Government is untainted by corrupt dealings. There is dissatisfaction over the Krishna exercise but indications are that the Chief Minister will be able to ride the ``storm'' successfully.

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