In his customary address of the joint session of the Karnataka legislature on Wednesday, Governor HR Bhardwaj said, “His Government would adopt the Centre’s lokpal Bill to provide clean administration. He said, “My Government welcomes the lokpal Act of the Government of India and action is being taken to adopt it in our State.”
In his address, Governor Bhardwaj, outlining priorities and initiatives of the eight-month-old Siddaramaiah-led Congress Government, has said the Government had also constituted a committee for strengthening, tracking and simplifying governance under the chairmanship of the law Minister to make administration transparent, accountable and corruption-free.
He announced that the State would implement a new industrial policy from April 1 to attract investments aimed at creating a million jobs in the next five years. Bhardwaj also told the members that the Government had decided to provide laptops and electronic notepads to pre-university students, free of cost to enable them to get access to knowledge through the Internet. lauding the Congress Government for introducing schemes to benefit all sections of the society, the Governor said it would provide “clean and transparent” administration.
Highlighting the achievements of the Siddaramaiah Government, the Governor said that the Government had succeeded in providing security to minorities, necessary infrastructure for establishment of industries, maintaining communal harmony, etc. He also claimed that Karnataka is the first State in the country to provide ragi and jowar under the Public Distribution System (PDS) besides ensuring transparent and corruption-free governance. He also said that 10 special courts will be set up to expedite cases relating to atrocities on women.
Former Chief Minister and BJP leader DV Sadananda Gowda charged that the Government has used the Governor’s office to tell the people a bundle of lies. He said the Government had become immobile, police department has been inactive and the administration becomes ineffective. leader of Opposition in the Assembly HD Kumaraswamy of the JD(S) questioned the claim of the Governor that the Government was committed to provide clean, transparent and efficient administration.