Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah
Credit: DH Photo
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday concluded his meetings with Congress MLAs from all 31 districts, an exercise he said was "meaningful" towards ensuring coordination with ministers and the party.
On Thursday, Siddaramaiah held talks with MLAs and ministers from Gadag, Uttara Kannada, Shivamogga, Mysuru, Chikmagalur and Vijayanagar.
Siddaramaiah said his district-wise meetings with MLAs lasted 50 hours over five days this month. Discussions covered demands for grants and preparations for the Lok Sabha elections next year, he said.
According to a statement from his office, discussions also revolved around coordination between the party and government as well as MLAs and ministers.
A team has been constituted in the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) to compile demands made by MLAs and submit them to the ministers concerned.
Siddaramaiah assured MLAs that development works will be taken up based on priority and availability of funds. He also stated that works should be carried out in a time-bound manner and that government programmes must reach eligible beneficiaries.
Ministers in charge of districts have been instructed to visit the Congress offices and spend time with party workers, the CM said in the statement.
During the Mysuru district meeting, Siddaramaiah noted that the city's civic body could go to polls around the same time as Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) by the end of this year. He said the Congress is certain of winning BBMP. Likewise, the Congress should win the Mysuru corporation, he said.
The statement claimed that all MLAs are satisfied with Siddaramaiah's district-wise meetings. The decision to hold the meetings was taken at a Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting last month as MLAs expressed frustration over lack of developmental funds and ministers being inaccessible.
MLA funds: Govt releases Rs 145 crore
The state government has released the first installment of Rs 145.5 crore under the Karnataka Legislators Local Area Development Scheme (KLLADS). Under the KLLADS, the government releases Rs 2 crore to each of the 224 MLAs and 75 MLCs. The government has earmarked Rs 602.23 crore for KLLADS this fiscal.