UDUPI: CM Siddaramaiah on Wednesday said that he would abide by the decisions of the Congress high command regarding cabinet expansion and other political developments in Karnataka.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of his visit to Karkala, the CM said, “We will follow the decisions of the High Command.”
Responding to a query on first-time MLAs aspiring for ministerial berths, he said a resolution was earlier made not to appoint first-time MLAs as ministers. “However, there is nothing wrong in them expressing their desire'' he said.
On the protest by job aspirants in Dharwad, Siddaramaiah said the government is committed to providing employment and filling vacancies. He attributed the delay in recruitment to internal reservation matters and assured that announcements would be made in the state budget. “We will provide jobs and fill all 2.5 lakh vacant posts phase by phase” he said.
Addressing concerns over recent elephant attacks in Chikkamagaluru district, CM said the population of elephants, tigers, and leopards increased leading to a rise in man-animal conflict. “We decided to install barricades in forest fringe areas on a large scale and will also constitute a task force to address the issue,” he said.
He added that the government is making efforts to curb ganja cultivation and trafficking across the state, though the process is ongoing.
On the alleged vandalism of property at Azim Premji University near Sarjapur in Anekal taluk by ABVP activists, CM warned that strict action would be taken. “Those who take the law into their hands will not be tolerated,” he said.
Regarding the proposed Agumbe tunnel road project, Siddaramaiah said the government would engage with environmentalists to understand their concerns.“We will speak to them and find out why they are opposing the project,” he said.
He also assured that issues related to the Parashurama Theme Park, Brahmavar Sugar Factory, nursing college in Karkala, and Pilikula Biological Park in Mangaluru would be addressed.