Wednesday, May 07, 2003
Wednesday, May 07, 2003 |
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Karnataka
By Our Special Correspondent
Mr. Krishna, speaking to presspersons here, first took the stand that the Government was yet to study the findings of the Lokayukta (Justice N.Venkatachala) and the recommendation that the Vice-Chancellor should not be allowed to remain in office. Pressed further, he said: "Whatever the Lokayukta says will be given serious thought." Prof. Hegde has been held guilty of accepting $ 7000 for increasing the intake of a management college in Mysore. About the ongoing Lokayukta inquiry into the massive scam in the Controllerate of Drugs, Mr. Krishna said the Government did not want to prejudge any issue as the inquiry was still going on. About the evidence being tendered by some of the officials in the Controllerate against the Minister for Medical Education, A.B.Maalakaraddy, he said he had made the stand of the Government clear while speaking in the Legislature. Mr. Krishna wondered how an impression had grown that the Government was not taking any action on the findings of the Lokayukta. The Government had placed under suspension commissioners of seven municipalities around Bangalore, which were raided by the Lokayukta with regard to overdrawal of funds from the Treasury. He refused to answer a question on the row between the former prime minister, H.D.Deve Gowda, and Balagangadharanatha Swamiji of Adichunchanagiri Math. He also declined to answer a question on the Cooperation Minister, H.Vishwanath's plea to the Congress President, Sonia Gandhi, to review the performance of ministers in the State. It was a matter for the High Command to decide and "I am not the Congress High Command and cannot be expected to respond," he said. Mr. Krishna, who holds the Finance portfolio, regretted that confusion prevailed at the Government of India level about the implementation of value-added tax (VAT) even though it had been mentioned in the Union Budget for 2003-04. He had indicated in the State Budget a contingency plan for raising resources and did not see any problem in meeting the tax collection targets set in the Budget. Moreover, it was only the beginning of the financial year. The Principal Secretary to the Government, Department of Finance, B.K.Das, said unless the President, A.P.J.Abdul Kalam, gave his assent to the VAT Bill of the State, it could not be implemented from June 1. The Presidential assent for the Bills of the various States was expected by May 23. The State was awaiting the outcome of the meeting of the Empowered Committee of State Finance Ministers on VAT with the Centre. The Chief Minister said the Government had not taken any decision on teaching English from standard III in government schools (Kannada medium). The policy remained the same — teaching English as a language from Standard V. He saw no reason to change the language policy in States merely because some foreign multinational companies were setting up industries or business here.
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