By Team Mangalorean Bangalore

BANGALORE, February 25, 2010: The Karnataka Chief Minister seems to be in different moods nowadays. He speaks in different tunes in different places and venues.   "You will see another face of CM Yeddyurappa in the current legislature session," -- this is what Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa replied to a question from presspersons on the Opposition deciding to raise several alleged scams, during the session.

"I know my limits and I may be calm. But do not misunderstand my calmness for weakness," Mr. Yeddyurappa asserted.

On the issue Janata Dal (Secular) leader H.D. Deve Gowda's tour of the State against grabbing of lands for industrial purposes, the Chief Minister "Mr. Gowda is trying to egg the Opposition to take us on and is trying to put up a show of strength. When he is doing such a thing at this age, we too have to respond."

On Janata Dal (S) legislature party leader H.D. Revanna's charges that Industries Minister Murugesh Nirani was involved in a denotification scam, Mr. Yeddyurappa said he was ready to publish a detailed list of scams which have taken place earlier.

 The congress and JD (S) will raise several issues in the current session of the state legislature and seek explanation from the Chief Minister. 

Helplines to address RTI complaints 

The Karnataka Government in order to improve the administration and transparency in the governance has decided to launch several e-governance initiatives. It has proposed to implement set up call centres to handle requests for Right to Information across the State soon.

The computerised facilitation centres with a 24X7 helpline will handle requests from citizens for information and filing of applications under the RTI Act, the Governor H D Bhardwaj said in his address to the Joint session of the State Legislature on Thursday.

On the e-governance front, Mr. Bhardwaj said akin to the BangaloreOne centres which render a host of services to the people under one umbrella, 20 KarnatakaOne centres will be operational in the district headquarters by next month. 

This programme will be extended in phases to cover all the districts. There are 60 centres of Bangalore-One operational in Bangalore city at present.

The Governor said retired judicial officers will be appointed on a contract basis to assist in expeditious disposal of long-pending cases.

In the field of higher education, the Governor said, the University of Mysore and Karnatak University, Dharwad, will be restructured to serve as model universities. The Karnataka Knowledge Commission has given a set of recommendations to the Government to restructure the two universities. In the meanwhile, admissions, conduct of examinations and announcement of results of all other universities in the State will be governed by a common calendar.

On the electricity generation front, he said, acquisition of land has commenced for the 4000 MW NTPC project at Kudagi in Bijapur district while the civil works for the 1600 MW venture of KPCL and BHEL at Yeramaras will commence shortly along with the 800 MW project at Yedlapur. 

Both these projects have been granted environmental clearance by the Centre. However, a mega infrastructure project with far-reaching impact on the State's energy scenario will be the gas grid, being developed between Dabhol and Bangalore by the Gas Authority of India Limited.

The Global Investors' meet to attract investment and to create additional employment opportunities will be held on June 3 and 4. The focus in the industrial development will be the creation of industrial corridors to link them with core sectors like cement, steel, automobiles and information technology. The first phase of Bangalore Metro will be ready for train operations by December and the Government has assured that the entire metro project will be fully commissioned by March 2013.

In his address to the joint session of the State Legislature, the Governor, H.R.Bhardwaj said the physical progress in work of the Bangalore metro which was 0.1 per cent when the Yeddyurappa Government took charge in May 2008 was now 22.4 per cent. 
 
He said, the Government has accorded the highest priority for the development of Bangalore and approved 12 signal free corridors in the newly added zones of the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike. Further, five new residential layouts to provide 1.74 lakh house sites will be developed by the Bangalore Development Authority and the final land acquisition notification for the Kempegowda layout has also been issued.

Mr Bhardwaj said the Government's new tourism policy is expected to bring in an investment of Rs 25,000 crore over the next 10 years and make Karnataka a leading tourist destination. The existing airport at Hubli will be upgraded to international strandards and land is being acquired for the expansion programme. It is also proposed to develop 11 airstrips in Davanagere, Raichur, Chikmagalur, Udupi, Kushalnagar, Gokarna, Chitradurga, Bagalkot, Haveri, Gadag and Kollegal.

Mr Bhardwaj said the special focus of the Government is on inclusive development and a major thrust has been given to extend social security cover to address the concerns of the poor. A total of 42.56 lakh beneficiaries are being extended assistance under various schemes-old age pension (8.34 lakhs) , Sandhya Suraksha (10.35 lakhs), Widow pension (10.12 lakhs ), physically challenged (6.33 lakhs) and Bhagyalakshmi scheme (7.42 lakhs). 

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