Siddaramaiah slams Yediyurappa govt over appointments to statutory bodies

Bengaluru, Nov 25: Senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah on Wednesday hit out at the B S Yediyurappa government in Karnataka over a slew of appointments made to various statutory bodies in the state, questioning the need when it was facing "financial stress".

He also wondered whether Chief Minister Yediyurappa was on his way out that he was making "political appointments". Siddaramaiah has repeatedly claimed that the ruling BJP will change its Chief Minister in the state.

"The state government is bankrupt financially, I had suggested even during the budget that the unnecessary expenditure should be reduced and more allocations have to be made for the development of the state," the Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly told reporters here. Pension was not being given to the poor senior citizens, widows and persons with disabilities for seven to eight months now, there was no money for it, in such a situation what was the need to appoint Chairmans to so many statutory boards? he asked.

Maybe its guaranteed that hes (Yediyurappa) going.... this is what I feel, I don't know. What was the need to make these appointments hurriedly when it was not done for one year four months?" he said. Instead of cutting down on unnecessary expenditure, taking such decisions was a treachery towards the state, the former chief minister alleged.

The government has appointed over 30 people as chairpersons and directors to various boards and corporations in the state. Those appointed include MLAs, former legislators, BJP workers and supporters. These appointments have been made even as the 77-year old Yediyurappa waits for approval from the BJP high command to carry out the much-awaited expansion or reshuffle of his cabinet.

There has also been intense speculation in some quarters that BJP central leadership was mulling leadership change in Karnataka in the days to come considering Yediyurappa's age. Though state BJP has rejected such speculations, they refuses to die down.