FM to review Karnataka's financial performance

Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram will review Karnataka's financial performance by January-end.

A decision to this effect was taken at the executive committee of the Karnataka government chaired by Karnataka Governor Rameshwar Thakur along with his advisors P P Prabhu, S Krishna Kumar and P K H Tharakan.

Rameshwar Thakur said, "When Union finance minister was here last week, he expressed his desire to conduct a financial and physical review of the state's performance during the last nine-months (April to December)."

"As a preparation for the review meet, executive committee took a decision to call for a meeting of deputy commissioners (DCs) meet to review the progress made at the state and district level during the first nine months and review their needs for the next three months (January to March)," he added.

"No work in Karnataka will stop for wants of funds. All DCs have been told to submit their progress report for nine months and submit proposals for the next three months (January to March)," he further added.

The executive committee also reviewed the progress made in updating electoral list in the state. The committee also reviewed its performance since the imposition of the President's Rule. "We felt some degree of satisfaction. Implementation of the decisions was also satisfactory," Thakur added.

Congratulating the KSRTC for earning revenues of Rs 1,000 crore in less than nine months this year (2007-08) as against 11 months last year, Rameshwar Thakur said, "This transport corporation should be a model for other states to emulate."

According to Tharakan, "The corporation is expected to see revenues of Rs 1,333 crore by the end of fiscal 2007-08. The executive committee has sanctioned a two-year project of Rs 19.6 crore to improve infrastructure at the Institute of Diary Sciences and Technology at Gulbarga.

According to advisor P P Prabhu, "A sum of Rs 6 crore has been sanctioned immediately for the diary sciences project."

Since diary has huge employment opportunities, it has been taken up on priority," he added. The committee also took the decision to prepare and submit a detailed project report on relief and resettlement of flood-affected villages in North Karnataka.

"For resettlement, the Union home minister during his visit a few days ago has asked us to prepare a detailed report in consultation with gram sabhas and submit it to the Centre for its review and for additional grants," said Prabhu.

Tharakan said, "The state government has sought additional funds of Rs 20 crore in addition to the already sanctioned Rs 80 crore to take up the mega city police project."

The mega city police project is being conceived as a blueprint for modernisation of the police force after emergence of greater Bangalore by bringing in more areas under civic corporation.

"Additional funds will be used to improve police infrastructure like communication, mobility, training and housing needs of policemen," Tharakan added.