BENGALURU: Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa’s Cabinet colleagues, who were recently assigned charge of different district, will be staying over at nights at the most unlikely places during their visits — schools, hospitals, hostels and women empowerment centres. The exercise, some of them believe, will give them first-hand information about the ground realities in the districts.
The 17 ministers took oath on August 19. A month later, now that they have settled down with their portfolios, a few of the ministers will be pro-actively engaging with people by travelling to various places.
Health Minister B Sriramulu has already announced that he will stay at government hospitals to study their condition and also primary health centres in villages.
He plans to interact with patients and their family members, understand the issues plaguing the establishments and provide facilities based on people’s needs. He has, in fact, listed out the government hospitals across the state where he plans to stay once or twice in a month.
Taking the cue, Primary and Secondary Education Minister Suresh Kumar is planning to stay overnight at government schools. To begin with, he picked Acchamanahalli Government School in Pavagada taluk of Tumkur district where he stayed on Thursday night. Earlier in the day, he interacted with teachers, students and parents and also participated in a cultural programme conducted by the schoolchildren. Sources said Social Welfare Minister Govind Karjol plans to stay in hostels for backward class students run by the department.
BSY made village visits in earlier stint
Officials said, “There is a proposal, but we do not know from when the minister plans to go on the visits.’’
Similarly, there is a plan to arrange stays for Women and Child Development Minister Shashikala Jolle at Anganawadi kendras or women empowerment centres so that more women, especially from villages, can directly interact with her.
Between 2009 and 2011, Yediyurappa, as Chief Minister, visited villages on the first Saturday of the month and spent the whole day there. He visited 21 villages on 21 Saturdays. In 2006, the then CM H D Kumaraswamy had come up with ‘Graama Vaastavya’ (overnight stay at villages), which was popular.