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Congress MLA Raju Kage on Tuesday flagged the issue of delays in administrative works, which are supposed to be carried out by the government officials employed in different departments, and suggested that the Karnataka government must make a rule pushing for development works to be carried out in time.
He alleged that the state government has no control over the government officials, who "don't work or go in the field." Kage complained that the ministers also remain unavailable, reducing the possibility of discussing public works. "In many departments, files for work don't move. The ministers are not available on the phone. The government should make a rule that no file should remain with any department for more than a stipulated time... The government has no control over the officials. They (govt officials) don't work or go on the field," Kage, Congress MLA from Kagwad assembly constituency, told ANI. Citing a personal example, the senior leader pointed to a road construction project in his constituency for which he laid the foundation stone over a year ago. Despite the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah having allocated funds for the road construction works, the project remains stalled due to procedural delays. "I am not blaming anyone for what I said yesterday. A year ago, I had laid the foundation of a road to be built in a village. I asked the contractor why no work on road construction had been done in one year. The CM had released funds of Rs 25 crore, out of which Rs 12 crore were allocated for the road works. However, they created problems (concerning releasing the funds)...even after CM asked to clear it," the senior Congress leader said. He further expressed his disappointment that Siddaramaiah had not contacted him to address the issues of administrative delays, among others, and said that this is why he had offered to resign. "The CM has not spoken to me, and hence, I am upset. I offered to resign, but my constituency people disagree with this...this has been going on for the last two years," Kage added. Earlier, Kage complained of a lack of funds hindering the development works and backed the allegations raised by Congress MLA BR Patil regarding alleged irregularities in housing allotment under the Rajiv Gandhi housing scheme. Kage had said that it "wouldn't be surprising" if he resigns within 2 days. A phone conversation that went viral on social media, purportedly between BR Patil and Sarfaraz Khan, the personal assistant (PA) to Karnataka Housing and Minority Welfare Minister BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan, has brought the Congress government under fire due to allegations of irregularities in the housing allotment. Meanwhile, Zameer Ahmed Khan dismissed any allegations of corruption in his department today, calling for Patil and Kage to reveal the names of officials taking bribes and announcing that he would resign as the minister if corruption charges were true. "If at all I'm involved or anywhere my name comes in investigation, I'm ready to resign, and I'll leave. I'm not sticking to my seat. I'll resign if my name comes in the investigation," Khan said during a press conference here. (ANI)
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