K'taka will put down militancy with iron hand: DCM

Udupi (Karnataka), Apr 2: The JD(S)-BJP Government in Karnataka will take stringent action against not only ISI-sponsored militants, but also those harbouring such anti-social elements, Deputy Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa said today.

Talking to newspersons here after visiting the famous Sri Krishna temple, Sri Kukke Subramanya temple and Sri Kshetra Dharmastala, he strongly condemned the recent communal riots in Bhatkal in Uttara Kannada district, in which one person was killed and said the Government would not allow places like Bhatkal to become shelters for anti-national activities.

Claiming the presence of international hand in the Bhatkal riots, Mr Yediyurappa said stringent action would be taken against all those trying to destabilise peace and tranquility in the region.

To a query, he said the State Government had received information from the Central Intelligence Bureau long ago about Karnataka, particularly the coastal districts of the State, becoming harbouring place for anti-national activities with ISI support. But the previous Government had failed to take any strict action on the information received, he alleged.

The Deputy Chief Minister took exception to the Opposition Congress for having insulted the Assembly Speaker and stalling the House proceedings throughout the session and said the Speaker's ruling was final on any matter. ''When they have insulted the Speaker, how and with which face will they appraoch the Government to lodge the complaint,'' he asked.

Mr Yediyurappa, who also holds the Finance portfolio, said the maiden budget presented by him recently was a pro-farmer, pro-poor and pro-women budget, aimed at giving social justice to all. He said the Government had decided to construct 10,000 houses to the fishermen community this year. While the kerosene quota to fishing boats had been increased to 400 litres from the present 200 litres, subsidised diesel quota had been increased to 70,000 litres from 55,000 litres. It had also taken steps to bring one lakh fisherwomen under the Self Help Group network, he added.

The Deputy Chief Minister said he had held meetings with the Chief Secretary and the Finance Secretary for the speedy implementation of all programmes announced in the budget by utilising the allocated funds. It had also decided to review the progress of the implementation and utilisation of funds on a quarterly basis. He had urged the Chief Minister to make surprise visits to villages once in three months to assess the progress.

Earlier, speaking to newspersons at Subramanya after visiting Kukke Subramanya temple, Mr Yediyurappa asserted that the Government had given equal stress for providing infrastructure to IT and BT sectors.

The Idgah Maidan row in Hubli would be amicably solved after holding discussions with those concerned, he said.

Later, Mr Yediyurappa inaugurated 'Siri Resource Centre', started under the special component plan of Swarna Jayanthi Gram Swarojgar Project, jointly organised by the Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala Rural Development Project and Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat.

UNI