Too late a realisation
Minister for Energy, Kannada and Culture and Dakshina Kannada district in-charge V. Sunil Kumar took nearly six months to realise that a portion of Bengaluru-Mangaluru National Highway-75 in Sakleshpur taluk was non-motorable.
By the time he understood the reality and directed the NHAI along with Public Works Minister C.C. Patil to restore the road, the rain was pounding the ghat stretch and it was impossible to restore the road.
During the inauguration of his office in Mangaluru in January, a journalist drew Mr. Kumar’s attention to the pathetic condition of NH-75 between Sakleshpur and Maranahalli, ahead of Shiradi Ghat. When the scribe was explaining to the Minister its impact on trade and commerce, tourism and other sectors, the Minister in his characteristically dismissive style said he will “look into the matter.”
The Hindu and other publications had been frequently publishing reports on the deteriorated state of the highway stretch. Yet, neither NHAI nor the State government responded. Once the rains started, the stretch became completely non-motorable, but vehicles continued to ply on the road because there was no alternative.
Last week, Mr. Kumar and Mr. Patil convened a meeting of NHAI officials and warned them to restore the road within a fortnight. The million dollar question is the mode of restoration when rains are pounding the ghat stretch.
List of BJP ‘dynasties’
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi continued to attack the Opposition-ruled States as "dynasts" and "family-based" governments, former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy listed 16 family dynasties in the Karnataka unit of the BJP. He lashed out at the BJP leaders for repeatedly calling the JD(S) a dynastic party.
Knowing well the sum and substance of BJP’s Mission Dakshin, the JD(S) leader said everyone understands why Mr. Modi holds Yoga event in Mysuru and the party's conclave in Hyderabad. Hitting out at the BJP leaders, he listed dynastic families, including former Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa and sons, MLA Ravi Subramanya and his nephew Tejaswi Surya, and Industries Minister Murgesh Nirani and his brother Hanumath Nirani. He also named powerful families of the Jarkiholi brothers and Reddy brothers, among others.
“Should I expose the nation-wide family politics in the BJP? One can write ‘Parivarakoti’ while talking about family politics in States ruled by you,” Mr. Kumaraswamy said.
Weighing loyalties
Amidst much talk in the media of “camps” loyal to him and KPCC president D.K. Shivakumar within the Congress, Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Siddaramaiah at a recent press conference said that all party MLAs and leaders were loyal to him. He mentioned names of Priyank Kharge, MLA, who was sitting next to him on the dais, and Dinesh Guligowda, MLC, who too was present. He took a jibe at journalists who are repeatedly writing about his “loyalists.”
Mr. Siddaramaiah went on and asked with a smile, "Are you (journalists) not loyal to me?" When journalists would still not let go and asked if Mr. Shivakumar was loyal to him, Mr. Siddaramaiah did not reply, while the KPCC chief was sitting next to him. A couple of days later, on Friday, both leaders held a much-publicised breakfast meeting and discussed party matters.
Anil Kumar Sastry
Nagesh Prabhu
