Date:13/09/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/09/13/stories/2006091312650400.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Government will not tolerate breach of the peace: Prakash

Staff Reporter

Uma Bharti advised to keep off `Shoba Yatra' in Chikmagalur district

TAKING STOCK: Home Minister M.P. Prakash (right) holding a meeting with top officials to review the working of the department, in Bangalore on Tuesday. — Photo: K. Murali Kumar

Bangalore: Home Minister M.P. Prakash has, though not in so many words, told the former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Uma Bharti to keep off the `Shoba Yatra' to be held at Bababudangiri (Datta Peetha) in Chikmagalur district.

"She should not fish in troubled waters," were the words used by Mr. Prakash at a press conference here on Tuesday. He earlier held a meeting to review the working of his department.

Recruitment

He said the Home Department had begun the process of recruiting 4,500 police constables and it was expected to take four months. A total of 7,970 posts of constable and others in various wings of the police such as the Corps of Detectives, the Anti-Naxal Force, the intelligence wing and Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP) were vacant. The Finance Department, he said, had given its in principle approval for filling the vacancies. Applications had been invited from candidates.

Mr. Prakash said Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and Deputy Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa would meet on September 18 to discuss exempting the Home, Health and Education departments from the economy measures in force.

He said he would ask the Finance Department to approve the stationing of a KSRP battalion in Hassan. Two hundred acres had been identified for the purpose. Similarly, a Central Reserve Police Force battalion would be stationed at Munirabad in Koppal district for which 230 acres had been identified. The Centre would give Rs. 12.75 crore and rest would be met by the State Government, he said.

On the `Shoba Yatra,' the Home Minister said only those programmes held last year would be allowed. The Government would not allow anybody to disturb the peace in the district.

On the statement of Higher Education Minister D.H. Shankaramurthy that the `Shoba Yatra' would be organised, Mr. Prakash said all contentious issues should be discussed by the coordination committee. Issues that generate misunderstanding between the coalition partners should not be raked up, the Minister said.

He said no senior police officer seemed to be interested in heading the Anti-Naxal Force. In view of this, the Minister said that Inspectors-General of Police of the zones covering Raichur, Gulbarga, Bellary and Tumkur districts and Superintendents of Police of the four districts had been entrusted with the task. They would be given additional personnel.

In addition to this, the Government had released Rs. 15.4 crore for socio-economic welfare measures in 200 villages during the current financial year.

A meeting chaired by the Chief Minister would be held on Friday to discuss the naxalite problem, Mr. Prakash added.