Krishna to reconstitute ministry

By A.Jayaram

BANGALORE, OCT. 7. Perhaps for the first time after becoming Chief Minister, Mr. S.M.Krishna has spoken of reconstitution of his ministry. Mr. Krishna is reported to have told a private television channel that the ministry would be reconstituted after October 18, the day on which two years ago it was formed.

He is reported to have indicated that the number of Lingayat ministers would go up and a Christian would also be given representation. The Government is without representation for Christians after the former Minister of State, Mr. T.John, was forced to resign in January.

Lately, some of the Lingayat mathadipathis have criticised the Government for giving a raw deal to the Lingayats in the ministry and in government service. There was, in fact, a protest march in Gulbarga over the denial of the post of Secretary for Public Works to a Lingayat engineer. There is also a grouse that none from the Lingayat community has been appointed as chairman of a board or corporation in the 14 such appointments made so far. There are six Lingayat ministers (three in the Cabinet), and the criticism is that none of them has been given a good portfolio. Mr. Allum Veerabhadrappa, a Lingayat, resigned from the ministry after becoming the KPCC President.

There is lately some comment that the Vokkaliga caste to which the Chief Minister belongs has been receiving disproportionate rewards. A recent case often cited is the election of Mr. B.L.Shankar, an unattached Janata Dal member, as Chairman of the Legislative Council. His unanimous election was ensured with the former Prime Minister, Mr. H.D.Deve Gowda, and his Janata Dal(S) joining hands with the Congress. Besides ministers, the other Vokkaligas who have come to occupy high office after Mr. Krishna became the Chief Minister are the former Supreme Court judge, Mr. Justice N.Venkatachala (Lokayukta), the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, Mr. M.V.Venkatappa, the Chairman of the State Public Service Commission, Dr. Krishna, and one or two vice-chancellors of universities.

According to Congress circles, the Chief Minister must have informed the AICC about the reconstitution as the party headquarters in Delhi involves itself even in minor appointments. On September 6, Mr. Krishna effected a reshuffle of the portfolios of eight ministers. In the past two years, only the portfolios of two ministers have been changed. Ms. Nafees Fazal lost the important portfolio of Medical Education and has to be content with being Minister of State for Science and Technology. Last month, Dr. B.K.Chandrashekar was assigned Information Technology. He lost the Information portfolio and the spokesmanship of the Cabinet.

Unheard of in the public life of the State, the members of the backward caste, Gangamathastha, staged a rally in the City some time ago demanding a Cabinet berth. Apparently, the Gangamathasthas, wanted the Minister of State for Small Savings, Mr. Baburao Chinchansoor, made a member of the Cabinet.

The 23 first-time ministers have had a fairly long probation period. It has been a long period for the Chief Minister, the Congress, and the public to assess the record of all the 40 ministers. There has always been the grouse that some districts such as Gulbarga are over-represented and others ignored in the ministry. So is the case of certain castes.

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