BENGALURU: Tourism, Environment and Ecology Minister Anand Singh, who had been assured by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and BJP state president Nalin Kumar Kateel that his grouse about portfolio allocation will be discussed with the party bosses in Delhi, said he will not chase the CM to know what was the outcome of the latter’s visit. “That is not my nature,’’ he said bluntly.
The CM was on a two-day visit to Delhi and returned on Thursday as he could not meet party national president J P Nadda and discuss the issue. Anand Singh had been sulking and had not taken charge of his ministries for about three weeks. He did so last week after being persuaded by the CM and Kateel.
Asked about the delay, Singh told TNIE, “Some issues cannot be discussed publicly. I would not like to speculate on what can happen in the future.’’ He claimed that he will go by the directives of party seniors and was advised that this was not the right time. While admitting that he did feel let down, he said, “If I give my word to someone, I keep it. I got emotional and hence, kept away, but I’m not fussy about portfolios.’’
Singh said that at present, the tourism sector was facing a crunch as tourist inflow had dwindled to fears of a third wave of Covid-19 despite the vast potential for tourism. On the ecology front, he said, “There were complaints that officials were hesitant to go to remote areas where there was pollution or other ecological violations. I held a discussion with the officials and explained to them how to deal with violations in certain remote areas. There have been complaints about industries discharging effluents into rivers. Whenever such issues come to my notice, we will not hesitate to take criminal action against the offenders.’’