JD(S) ministers to join Yedi govt on Nov 21
New
Delhi,
Nov
16:
Claiming
the
support
of
129
MLAs
in
the
224
member
Karnataka
Assembly,
Chief
Minister
B
S
Yeddyurappa
today
said
the
18
Janata
Dal
(Secular)
ministers
will
join
the
government
on
November
21.
Talking to newspersons, Mr Yeddyurappa said he was confident of proving his majority in the Assembly on November 19 when he would seek a vote of Confidence.
JD (S) Legislature Party leader H D Kumaraswamy has already informed the Chief Minister that all the JD(S) ministers will be joining the government. Meanwhile, the meeting between the two leaders to discuss about the members to be included for the expansion will take place this evening.
The Chief Minister, who paid a courtesy visit to President Pratibha Patil and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh this morning, said in the last 20 months, the coalition had delivered quality governance and stress would continue to be laid on this aspect for the next 19 months.
''I enjoy good rapport with JD (S) leadership including former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda and his son H D Kumaraswamy,'' he said.
To a query as to who would be the Deputy Chief Minister, he said it would be decided by the coalition partner.
Special thrust would be laid upon maintaining law and order, communal harmony and ensuring safety of minorities and weaker sections like Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and women.
Asked about the 12-point demands of Mr Deve Gowda seeking a special status to his son in running the administration, Mr Yeddyurappa said the former Prime Minister had himself stated that those were not conditions but suggestions.
''We will discuss his suggestions across the table and I have nothing to say to the media on this,'' he said.
Asked if the BJP would sign the Memorandum of Understanding with the JD (S), he said the BJP had shown that it can adhere to its commitments during the last 20 months of coalition.
''We believe in word of mouth. One should have faith in it,'' he added.
Mr Yeddyurappa said implementation of the schemes announced during the last two budgets and speeding up the process of development would be the immediate priority of the new government. Attention would be paid to rural development, agriculture, removal of regional imbalance, employment generation, poverty eradication, upgrading the infrastructure in the state, encouraging the Information Technology and Bio-Technology sectors and industrial peace.
His government would maintain a constructive cooperation with the Centre where there is a UPA government.
The Bangalore International Airport in Devanahalli would be operationalised on March 30, 2008, he said, adding that road connectivity would be given special attention. A panel headed by Additional Chief Secretary would oversee the implemetnation of the Airport Road Works.
To enable smooth movement of VVIPs, heads of the Governments and diplomats, investors and corporate personalities within Bangalore, four helipads would be built in and around the state capital. This would also mean that the public would not be inconvenienced by the movement of VIPs.
The helipads would be coming up in Electronic City, Palace Ground, HAL and Peenya Industrial area, Nelamangala. Two minor airports would come up under Public Private Partnership at Gulbarga and Shimoga for which the developers had been chosen.
The first ever such airport would come up in Hassan, the home district of Mr Deve Gowda.
Karnataka
has
alaways
been
a
progressive
state
and
it
should
figure
in
top
positions
in
terms
of
Human
Development
Index
and
economic
growth,
he
said.
UNI