Southern States - Karnataka

POTA: Krishna still in a dilemma

By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE APRIL 4. The State Government appears to be in a dilemma over implementing the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA). An indication of this was available here today with the Chief Minister, S.M.Krishna, saying that the Act had become the law of the land and that the Government would be objective as to whether the law should be implemented and whether such a contingency would arise.

Mr. Krishna recalled his opposition to the Prevention of Terrorism Bill in the form in which it had been brought, in his address at the meeting of the Chief Ministers where he had said that there should have been consensus on the issue.

Asked for his reaction to the criticism that the law was targeted at the Islamic fundamentalists, Mr. Krishna said he did not want to get into any controversy. He said it had become the law of the land and added: "How we implement or whether we implement'' would be known in future.

Shivakumar defended

About the demand for the resignation of the Cooperation Minister, D.K. Shivakumar, for the alleged evasion of stamp duty by housing cooperative societies, he made it clear that the Lok Ayukta inquiry he announced on Wednesday was into the evasion of stamp duty by house-building societies, and he was, therefore, not obliging those who were demanding removal of the minister.

Mr. Krishna was reacting to the demand of the Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council, K.H.Srinivasa, of the JD (U), at a press conference, to suspend IAS officers of the Cooperation Department.

Pointing out that the inquiry was not against officers but into the functioning of the system, Mr. Krishna said the Lok Ayukta, an authority created by an Act of the legislature, was autonomous, and no IAS officer (one of them posted now as Principal Secretary, Home Department) or the Chief Minister could influence him as feared.

Asked whether the Government had decided to give more powers to the Lok Ayukta, Mr. Krishna said it had not applied its mind in that regard, but the Cabinet was seized of the matter. The Lok Ayukta was doing useful work. The efficiency of the Government needed to be improved, and the Lok Ayukta was taking steps.

About the amendment of Rule 286 of Karnataka Civil Service Rules, to weed out incompetent officials, Mr. Krishna said the procedure had been simplified. He added that the thrust was on removing incompetent officials and making permanency of tenure a qualified one in accordance with a recent decision of the Supreme Court.

Transfer policy

The Chief Minister was annoyed at reports in a section of the Press on transfer of some officers, and wondered who had spread the "canard". Those concerned should try to verify facts. If the Press were to take decisions, why should he be the Chief Minister, he asked.

Transfers had not crossed his mind, he said, and asked the Press to be "a little more responsible". A few changes in postings should not be given undue importance, he said, and added that there would not be any change in the transfer policy.

When it was pointed out that some legislators had opposed the transfer policy, Mr. Krishna said there were bound to be teething problems during the transition stage, but the Government would overcome them.

The Government, he said, was thinking of setting up a State Human Rights Commission.

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