Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore (SP)

Bangalore, Nov 22: A meeting of the cabinet colleagues convened by the state chief minister B S Yeddyurappa at his private residence before the cabinet meeting scheduled for Friday November 21 felt that it would be difficult to expect good performance for the BJP in the ensuing assembly bypoll and the Loksabha elections, unless the ministers rev up the working of their respective departments towards adding to the popularity of the government. As a result, the chief minister has asked the ministers to take part in the 'Janaspandana' mass contact programme being conducted on every Saturday at the hobli level and make efforts to solve peoples' problems then and there. He also instructed them to conduct progress review meetings of the departments from time to time.

The chief minister is also understood to have made it clear to the ministries, that the budgetary targets should be met. They were also directed to instill a sense of urgency in their departments they head, undertake tour of their constituencies and the districts of which they hold charge, in addition to being present in their offices in the Vidhan Soudha to keep a watch on the progress achieved in their departments.

"The credibility of the government is getting sullied because of multifarious problems including shortage of power. The image of the government has boost to the expected extent. The people may vote according to the performance of the government in the ensuing elections. Therefore, the ministers should work hard and earn a good name for the departments they head," he commented.

Expressing his dissatisfaction over the style of functioning of some minister who seldom visit their offices and conduct progress review, he asked them to ensure that all the budgetary allocations are utilized by working to a time-bound programme. Unless the ministers take interest in affectively implementing the programmes, the department cannot work properly, he asserted.

Sources also said that the government will be reviewing the performance of individual ministers, taking into account their achievements, the goodwill they have created for the government in their districts and other things etc.after December 15.