Continuing its efforts to mollify dissident MLAs, the State government on Thursday appointed Congress MLA for Chickballapur D. Sudhakar as chairman of the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB).
Although the Congress had recommended Dr. Sudhakar’s name for the post in December last year, Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy had not cleared it on technical grounds stating that the Supreme Court had recommended certain qualification for the post. The State government had then appointed C. Jayaram, retired Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Wildlife, to the post.
Following this, Dr. Sudhakar, who had earlier aspired for a ministerial berth, had expressed his dissent and was one among those who had raised a rebellion against the party. He had threatened to quit the Congress after N.H. Shivashankara Reddy was chosen to be a Minister instead of him. He had even pushed the Congress to the edge after going missing with some dissident MLAs two months ago.
After assuming charge on Thursday, Dr. Sudhakar tweeted to thank Congress leaders, including AICC president Rahul Gandhi and party colleagues, “for vesting their belief in him to chair the KSPCB”.
Three other appointments
Meanwhile, the State government has posted Mr. Jayaram, who resigned as chairman of the KSPCB on Thursday, as chairman of Karnataka Zoo Authority. While Congress MLA for Doddaballapur T. Venkataramanaiah has been appointed Bangalore International Airport Area Planning Authority chairman (BIAAPA), JD(S) MLA for Devanahalli Nisarga Narayanswamy, who was earlier in charge of BIAAPA, has been appointed as chairman of the Satellite Town Ring Road Planning Authority.