K'taka rejects reservation categorisation to SEC

Bangalore, May 7: Karnataka government today rejected the Congress demand referring to the task of categorisation of reservation to State Election Commission (SEC) for the urban local body elections.

Speaking to newspersons here Minister for Municipal Administration R Srinivas said the government would hold the elections to the 207 urban local bodies after rectifying the anomalies within the stipulated time frame fixed by the Karnataka High Court.

He said the elections to the urban local bodies were postponed following directions from the Karnataka High Court, and the government could not be blamed for this.

Refuting the charges made by Congress leaders that state government had intentionally erred in categorising the reservation of wards to invite High Court's intervention, the Minister said the government was not afraid of the elections and JD(S)-BJP coalition would sweep the elections.

It may be recalled that a Congress delegation led by KPCC president Mallikarjuna Kharge met Karnataka Governor T N Chaturvedi seeking his intervention. It also appealed for entrusting the categorising of reservation to SEC.

The Minister informed that state government had released Rs 85 crore to tackle the drinking water problem in urban areas in the state. ''The urban local authorities have overcome the initial hiccups faced in solving the drinking water problem, which was acute in certain towns and cities,'' the Minister said.

UNI