BENGALURU: Officials in the state Higher Education Department are allegedly bypassing Higher Education Minister GT Devegowda and issuing orders or forwarding files without bringing it to his notice. This latest trend has reportedly irked the minister so much so that he has even asked for a change in portfolio.
In three of the recent incidents, the files related to appointments of registrars for Karnataka State Open University (KSOU), term extension for Hampi Kannada University vice chancellor and issuing some work orders for a big amount, the officials of the department had not brought the matters to the minister’s notice.
Devegowda told this to The New Indian Express and conveyed the same to Public Works Department Minister HD Revanna. Revanna later called senior officials of the department and warned them against bypassing the minister. “I was kept in the dark and even the files related to the appointment of KSOU registrars were not brought to my attention,” Devegowda said.
On Tuesday, Devegowda has written to the state government urging it to relieve a senior official from the department’s planning section who had released Rs 108 crore in payments for various projects without informing the minister.
According to sources close to Devegowda, he recently met Revanna and sought a change of portfolio.
Recently, while reacting to questions on extension of term given to Hampi Kannada University Vice Chancellor Prof Mallika Ghanti, the minister said he was unaware of it. But when asked, sources at Raj Bhavan confirmed that the file had come from the state government.Sources close to the minister allege that former VC of University of Mysore Prof K S Rangappa is playing a role in all this. However, this allegation could not be independently verified.