Karnataka cabinet sits late night to clear 78 subjects

BENGALURU: To beat the Lok Sabha poll model code of conduct kicking in anytime soon, the cabinet meeting on Monday went on till late into the night with the agenda increasing from 21 subjects to 78.
Scheduled to start at 5pm, the meeting under chief minister HD Kumaraswamy started at 5.30pm but showed no signs of ending till 9.30pm.


According to sources, the initial agenda had only 21 subjects, including a Rs 4,000-crore project for the ambitious Jaladhare (surface drinking water for villages) and fresh construction of tar roads for gram panchayats.

However, by 8.30pm, the agenda continued to pile up with 57 additional subjects requiring the cabinet's assent. According to sources, the fresh agenda included elevated corridors and revised conditions placed for the suburban rail for Bengaluru.

Breakfast meetings

In a precedent set by the Congress in the state, it's said each of the 22 party ministers in the coalition government with JD(S) will host a breakfast meeting for colleagues. According to sources, after water resources minister DK Shivakumar, DyCM G Parameshwara and RDPR minister Krishna Byregowda held a breakfast meeting on Monday.

SC/ST demotions reversed at meet?

After a discussion on the Karnataka Extension of Consequential Seniority to Government Servants Promoted on the Basis of Reservation Act, the cabinet reportedly decided to reverse all SC/ST demotions made previously. Sources said Kumaraswamy was forced to bow to the pressure of Dalit ministers, including deputy chief minister G Parameshwara and social welfare minister Priyank Kharge, and reverse the demotions of SC/ST employees whose promotions had been struck down by the Supreme Court in 2016. With this decision, hundreds of SC/ST employees will now be reinstated in their previous positions.