Bommai govt grants Cabinet-rank facilities to BSY
BENGALURU: In a surprise move, the State Government on Saturday issued an order according Cabinet rank facilities to former chief minister BS Yediyurappa. An order issued by the Under Secretary, Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR), protocol wing, states that as long as the current chief minister holds the post, his predecessor Yediyurappa will enjoy all facilities of a Cabinet rank minister.
According to sources in the government, this is for the first time that a former CM in Karnataka is being given Cabinet rank status and all related facilities. Sources in the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said that an outgoing CM will continue to enjoy certain facilities like government bungalow, car and staff for six months after demitting office. These facilities can be availed under the DPAR protocols. But for Yediyurappa, the order states that he will be given facilities equivalent to a Cabinet rank. Yediyurappa can avail facilities like an official bunglow, car, 11 staffers, including gunmen and the government will pay them.
Meanwhile, Yediyurappa is expected to continue staying at ‘Cauvery’, the official residence allotted to the CM, which is located next to ‘Krishna’, the CM’s home office. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai is likely to stay at his RT Nagar residence, which was allotted to his father and former CM S R Bommai. The DPAR sources said that when Yediyurappa was CM, JDS leader H D Kumaraswamy had availed facilities given to previous chief ministers.
In Bengaluru, there are 23 government bungalows that are allotted to the CM, ministers, Opposition leaders, judges and government executives. “Most of the ministers of the Yediyurappa Cabinet will continue to stay in their bungalows. Former ministers C P Yogeeshwara and Jagadish Shettar and former Deputy CM Laxman Savadi will have to vacate their official bungalows within one month,” said a DPAR source.