JD (S)-BJP govt fails to deliver, says Dharam

Bangalore, Aug 3 (UNI) Former Karnataka Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly N Dharam Singh today said the performance of the six-month-old JD(S)-BJP government was 'zero.' ''The performance of the government is zero... not a single people-oriented programme is being implemented,'' he said when reporters asked him to comment on the performance of the coalition government which completed six months today.

Mr Singh said the government was spending its time in making allegations and counter allegations. His party had already launched protests from the block level against the policies of the government, he added.

On Mr Kumaraswamy's statement that people who were sitting in ''glass houses'' and levelling charges against him would soon en masse fall a prey to the ''khedda'' (trap) they had set for him, Mr Singh said ''Let the government probe the charges against the Congress leaders. The Congress will produce more disturbing evidences against the Chief Minister and make this auspicious 'shravana masa' a nightmare for the government.'' Asked why the Congress had not produced evidences to prove the Rs 150 crore bribery charge against Mr Kumaraswamy and his ministerial colleagues, he asked ''How can we produce evidence when the charge was levelled by a ruling party member...Why don't you ask him,'' he added.

He also asked why the illegal mining issue was not discussed in the State Legislature.

Asked about according more powers to the Lok Ayukta, he said it was for the Chief Minister and his cabinet to decide on it.

On why the Lok Ayukta was not given more teeth during his regime, he said a lot of factors had to be considered. ''Though the Congress was for it, under coalition politics it could not be achieved,'' he added.

Mr Singh was talking to reporters after attending the swearing in ceremony of the fifth Lok Ayukta of the state at Raj Bhavan here today.

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