Chief minister appoints heads to 91 boards, corporations

Bengaluru, Nov 3: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has begun the exercise to contain dissent in the ruling Congress by making the long-pending appointments to boards and corporations.

On Wednesday, he appointed heads to 91 state-run boards and corporations accommodating 21 Congress MLAs, besides a host of party functionaries and workers. The state already has 28 Cabinet ministers.

With Wednesday's appointments, nearly half of the 123 Congress MLAs in the Legislative Assembly will now enjoy government privileges and perks apart from their legislator entitlements.

The government has accordedCabinet minister' status to the 21 legislators who include seniors such as Malikayya Guttedar, R V Devaraj, K Venkatesh and B R Yavagal while appointing them to chair various boards and corporations.

The perks that come with the appointments include a salary of Rs 40,000 per month, house rent of Rs 80,000 per month, maintenance allowance of Rs 20,000 a month and sumptuary allowance of Rs 1.5 lakh per annum. They will also get office vehicle and personal staff.

The remaining appointments that include 60 party functionaries have been made to lesser-known corporations and local urban authorities. They will also enjoy salary and perks but at a lower scale compared with the legislators who have made to the boards/corporations, official sources said.

Siddaramaiah had lobbied hard with the party high command that legislators, especially those who were sulking after failing to clinch a berth in the state Cabinet, be rewarded by appointing them as heads of plum boards and corporations. The move, he hoped, will placate them.

Guttedar, who has been very vocal in expressing his displeasure over not being inducted into the Cabinet, has been appointed Chairman of Karnataka Housing Board.

Periyapatna MLA K Venkatesh will chair Bangalore Development Authority. Chickpet MLA R V Devaraj has been appointed Chairman of Karnataka Slum Development Board, Bengaluru.

The exercise to reward legislators and party workers by appointing them to boards and corporations has been on for the past few months.

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi had struck down two previous lists and directed Siddaramaiah and Karnataka Congress chief G Parameshwara to give preference to loyal party workers. The appointees will have a tenure of 17 months with the Assembly polls due in May 2018.

The posts have been vacant since May this year after the first batch of appointees resigned following the completion of their designated 18-month tenure.