The Hindu : Cong. fails to keep its promise

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jan 10, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka

Cong. fails to keep its promise

By Our Special Correspondent

HUBLI Jan. 9. The Congress, which promised the voters of North Karnataka in the 1999 Assembly elections that it would work to remove the regional imbalances, appears to have reneged on its promise as far as nominations to the boards and corporations are concerned. The much-delayed process, coming as the Krishna Government stepped into fourth year, is heavily loaded against North Karnataka.

According to details available, of the 59 nominations made to the boards and corporations, 27 have gone to Bangalore and 16 to Mysore districts, while only 16 persons from North Karnataka figure in the list.

Sources in the Government said the nominations were finalised based on the recommendations of a committee constituted for the purpose. The list, which was published in the past, was withdrawn hurriedly following protests from senior ministers. But in the new list, North Karnataka's share has not increased.

What has made the nominations significant is that it comes in the wake of a report by the High Power Committee on Redressal of Regional Imbalances, headed by D.M.Nanjundappa. The committee has explained how the region had been denied its share in 10 years from 1991-92 in representation in public services, sports, committees, and cultural organisation. It includes the share of political power, with the situation loaded against North Karnataka, namely the post of Chief Minister, representation in the Cabinet, choice of vice-chancellors, in the public service commission, and other matters, including those concerning academies.

The latest move on the part of the State Government in general and the Chief Minister in particular has been to add a notch to the discrimination made by those at the helm of affairs. What makes the development assume ominous overtones is that this is the Government that broke away from the traditional path of apathy in acknowledging the existence of regional imbalances, which the previous government failed to take cognisance of.

While taking the first step towards keeping its promise of dispersal of government offices concentrated in Bangalore, the Government had taken the initiative to constitute the committee. The move to set up offices in the districts came a cropper, and the Nanjundappa Committee report, which called for an investment of Rs. 15,000 crore, has been ignored.

These are not the only stories of neglect. There are other instances too. In the case of suicide of farmers, a number of instances of which were reported from North Karnataka, the Government ignored the families of farmers from the region. This is in contrast to what the Congress did in Andhra Pradesh, with its President, Sonia Gandhi, paying a personal visit to the affected areas to give a token compensation.

Similarly, the issue of establishing a Bench of the High Court in Hubli has been hanging in balance. There is discrimination in the compensation awarded to victims of road accidents in North Karnataka. Similarly, in irrigation, the Government has paid more attention to Cauvery waters dispute than to the row over Krishna waters. The only redeeming feature of the developments is that the Congress President is now aware of the discrimination. A lot of material has been added to what C.K. Jaffer Sharief, former Union minister, told the High Command recently in this connection. But it remains to be seen whether Ms. Gandhi has the will to set right the situation.

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