Govt. to call all-party meet: CM

By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE, MAY 30. The State Government will call an all-party meeting soon to discuss the draft of the National Water Policy circulated by the Union Government. The Chief Minister, Mr. S. M. Krishna, told presspersons here today that the draft of the National Water Policy would have to be discussed threadbare in order to protect the interests of the State. Among other things, the policy would help put an end to the long-standing inter- State river disputes.

The Government, Mr. Krishna said, would like to elicit the views of the leaders of all the political parties before giving its views on the water policy. The Government would also be inviting irrigation experts for the discussion. He clarified that the Government had an open mind on the water policy.

To a question on whether he had offered to relinquish charge as president of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress(I) Committee, Mr. Krishna said he had told the AICC(I) President, Ms. Sonia Gandhi, that he was finding it difficult to cope with the responsibilities of the State party chief and would like to step down. In all probability, the new President would be appointed on the completion of zilla panchayat and taluk panchayat elections.

It was said that the new KPCC(I) President would, in all likelihood, be announced in the second week of June. Among the names in circulation for the post were those of Mr. M. V. Rajasekharan and Mr. T. N. Narasimha Murthy.

The Chief Minister, who returned from New Delhi this morning after holding discussions with Ms. Sonia Gandhi on the list of Congress(I) candidates for the Legislative Council elections scheduled for June 12, said the Congress high command would announce the names of the candidates in a day or two. ``I have given my views on the possible candidates. It is for the party to finalise the matter. The announcement of the list of candidates will also be from New Delhi.''

Asked about the status of Mr. Jairam Ramesh who reportedly quit as the Deputy Chairman of the State Planning Board, Mr. Krishna said that he had spoken to Mr. Ramesh while in New Delhi and the latter had agreed to be part of the State Planning Board. Mr. Ramesh had offered to quit from the post after the controversy over his statements about Ms. Sonia Gandhi in an interview to a foreign magazine. On whether the Government would call a session of the Legislature shortly, Mr. Krishna said he did not see the need for a session at present. Had the Opposition cooperated during the recently concluded session, the demands of the departments could have been discussed after the completion of the panchayat polls.

Mr. Krishna said that he would also look into the matter pertaining to the construction of a medical college building near the Tippagondanahalli reservoir - one of the drinking water sources for Bangalore city.

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Section  : Southern States
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