BENGALURU: After much delay and anticipation, 10 former Congress and JDS MLAs were sworn in as ministers in BS Yediyurappa’s cabinet, and were allocated portfolios earlier this week. But now, some ministers are apparently ‘unhappy’ over room allocation and are urging the CM to allot them offices at Vidhana Soudha instead of Vikasa Soudha.
Last week, soon after the new ministers took oath at Raj Bhavan, they were allotted offices, even before their portfolios were announced. Of the ten, six were given offices at Vidhana Soudha, and the remaining four at Vikasa Soudha. There was a buzz that Water Resources Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi was insisting that the CM change the room allotted to him, as he wanted the same room Congressman D K Shivakumar occupied when he held the same post in the Congress-JDS coalition government. Recently, BC Patil, Agriculture Minister, had gone to Vidhana Soudha to inspect his office and found that he has been allotted one at Vikasa Soudha.
In 2005, then Chief Minister SM Krishna inaugurated Vikasa Soudha, a replica of Vidhana Soudha. The annexe was built to accommodate more ministries and offices. “It’s been 15 years, but even today, ministers hesitate to take up rooms at Vikasa Soudha. They insist on offices in Vidhana Soudha. But with so many ministries, many departments have been shifted to Vikasa Soudha,” official sources said.
Now, a few ministers who were allotted offices at Vikasa Soudha are unhappy. They pointed out that chief minister’s advisors have been given rooms in Vidhana Soudha, while they being ministers they should have been given priority. Sources said that there is a shortage of rooms at Vidhana Soudha, and ministers cannot be allotted the ground floor. The first floor is for secretariat staff, while rooms on the second and third floors are all occupied.
Who sits where
Vidhana Soudha
Shrimant Patil Ramesh Jarkiholi Dr Sudhakar Byrathi Basavaraj Shivaram Hebbar
K GopaliahVikasa Soudha ST Somashekar KC Narayana Gowda BC Patil Anand Singh