BANGALORE: The government has again deferred a decision on whether to accept or scrap the selection list of gazetted probationary officers for Group A and B services, for which exams were conducted by the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) in 2011.
The Cabinet, which met here on Wednesday, was expected to take a decision following a directive from the Karnataka Appellate Tribunal (KAT), which is hearing the cases related to exam malpractices.
Sources said Revenue Minister V Sreenivasa Prasad and Social Welfare Minister H Anjaneya batted for releasing the list as it is. However, a majority of ministers felt that the list should be scrapped in view of the large-scale irregularities in examination and recruitment.
Those demanding the scrapping of the list referred to the CID report, which clearly indicated that answer scripts were not evaluated by subject experts. “History papers were evaluated by sociology teachers and vice versa. It has happened on a large scale. It is best to scrap the list as those who qualify may not really be meritorious,” a minister said.
Another minister said several ministers, including Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, were in favour of scrapping the list. “Whether we scrap or accept the list, the aggrieved candidates will knock the court’s door,” the minister said adding that it is better to take a decision at the earliest. Prasad and Anjaneya reportedly felt that it is not fair to punish genuine candidates for the mistakes of a few who have been already punished.
‘Strengthen Policing’
The spurt in number of sexual assaults on women and children across the state, and the two rape incidents in Bangalore also came up for discussion in the Cabinet. Sources said several ministers expressed the need to strengthen policing. “We have been doing well, but there is a need to further strengthen policing and curb such incidents,” a minister said.
Mysugar Gets Support
The Cabinet decided to increase the purchase price of sugar from Rs 28 to 29 per kg for the government-run Mysugar factory. The factory had pleaded for an increase in purchase price from Rs 28 to Rs 30.
Ban on Resale of KIADB Land
Bangalore: The Cabinet on Wednesday decided to ban resale of land allotted by the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) and also made it mandatory to use the land for the purpose it was granted.
Unlike in the past, the government has decided not to make an outright sale of land to industrialists and prospective entrepreneurs to expand or set up new industrial units. “The KIADB will only give the land on lease for 99 years,” a Minister said. The new rule will come into retrospective effect from May 13, 2013. The lease period was earlier restricted for just 30 years. “As no financial institutions were coming forward to extend loan because of the short lease period, the government extended the lease to 99 years,” he explained. The government has also strictly prohibited the change of land use to build a choultry, house or any commercial building in the land sanctioned for industries. If anyone fails to set up the industry for which the land was taken within three years, they would have to surrender it to the KIADB land bank, he said.