Now, IIMB lessons for ministers to manage show

If you think it should be a top priority for our politicians, then, you have a reason to smile! For, the new BJP government in Karnataka has decided to pack off all the 31 ministers to the Indian Institute of Management-Bangalore (IIMB) campus on Bannerghatta Road to take lessons on good governance.

With a large number of the first-timers in the BJP's first government in South India, the party head-honchos contend that the ministers could make up for their lack of experience in administration by listening to management experts.

Chief minister B S Yeddyurappa has written to all the ministers to attend the half-a-day course, the date for which will be finalised shortly.

"Actually, we were supposed to attend the course on Thursday. But had to postpone it at the last moment as we had to go to New Delhi to meet the Prime Minister," a senior BJP minister told Business Standard and added: "The course is likely to be conducted before the legislature session starts on July 17."

IIMB's Centre for Public Policy has been requested to design an exclusive module for the ministers. The decision to rope in IIM experts was taken last week after the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the BJP top-brass reportedly reviewed the ministers' public conduct and performance at the end of the first month of coming to power. According to BJP sources, the ministers had failed to score high marks in the review.

"Knowingly or otherwise, many ministers have committed mistakes that have dented the party's popularity. Even the damage control exercises that followed were not effective. So a decision was taken to to train them," the BJP leader said while pointing out how CM Yeddyurappa and agriculture minister S A Ravindranath had goofed up the fertiliser issue, how muzrai minister Krishnaiah Shetty made a mockery of the party by ordering all government-maintained temples to perform pooja in CM's name, how transport minister R Ashok created a scare among public transport users by talking about fare hike and how the suicide by Udupi MLA's wife was mishandled.

The ministers will be subjected to lectures on trends and issues pertaining to global economy, Karnataka's strengths and potential, good management practices, administrative systems, crisis management, infrastructure development, e-governance and future of public-private partnership.

While the ministers maintained that they are all enthused about taking lessons at IIMB, the moot question is: "Will they really implement whatever they learn?"