Bengaluru, 16 June

Karnataka Minister Krishna Byre Gowda, who had delayed taking charge of the Greater Bengaluru Development portfolio, citing "incomplete" allocation of key city-related departments, held his first meeting with top officials under the GBA limits on Tuesday.

Clarifying that he assumed charge following directions of Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and the Congress high command, he said he has informed the leadership that clarity regarding his responsibilities was essential to deliver the results.

Gowda, who took oath on 3 June, was allotted the Greater Bengaluru Development portfolio.

The minister was unhappy as the CM retained direct control over the city's two influential planning agencies—the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) and the Bengaluru Metropolitan Region Development Authority (BMRDA) -- and therefore delayed assuming charge of the department.

He has been entrusted with the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) and five city corporations under it, as well as the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) and Bengaluru Metro.

The minister recently discussed his portfolio with Shivakumar and the Congress high command, including the party's General Secretary in-charge of Karnataka, Randeep Singh Surjewala.

"Regarding the portfolio issue, I have shared my opinion with the Chief Minister and the party high command. To run the administration efficiently and provide results with accountability, there needs to be clarity. I have brought this to the notice of the CM and the party leadership; they will decide on it," Gowda said.

Speaking to reporters here, he said his stand was that it was appropriate to take charge once there was clarity.

"But the Chief Minister and the high command directed me to work assuming the charge, and they would decide on the matter in due course. Ultimately, I will have to respect their directions, so I have taken charge and have begun my work," he added.

Noting that the CM has decided as per his discretion, Gowda said, "I have requested him to rethink, but ultimately, as you know this matter is subject to the Chief Minister's discretion."

"I can ask him to reconsider, the reason being that if we have to work effectively at the ground level there should be clarity. So, I have requested him to reconsider, but ultimately all of us have to accept that it is his discretion," he added.

Asked why Krishna Byre Gowda had to face this situation, while none in the past had, the Minister said, "Something will be there. Probably, decisions will happen according to our capability. We will have to accept it.

"In politics, we will have to work accepting the given opportunity and responsibility with equanimity. It is a necessity in politics. Everything will not happen as per your demand in politics. We will have to work within the existing system. Satisfaction, dissatisfaction, happiness, sweet and bitterness -- everything is part of life," he added.

The opposition BJP had targeted the CM and the government over the lack of clarity regarding the Minister in-charge of Greater Bengaluru Development, amid rains, pothole menace and other city issues.

Gowda had recently visited New Delhi to meet the high command to seek clarity regarding his portfolio, as the BDA and BMRDA are responsible for several key mega projects planned for the city.

While the BDA is handling some of the city's biggest projects such as the Rs 27,000-crore Bengaluru Business Corridor (BBC) and the Rs 1,200-crore Hebbal short tunnel project, the BMRDA has taken up the over Rs 18,000-crore Bidadi township project among others.

Pointing out that Bengaluru is home to about 1.50 crore people, the minister stressed that improving the quality of life for people living in the city is important by improving administration.

Citing issues, including roads, traffic, garbage, cleanliness, and rainwater, he said the GBA, along with five city corporations was created to address them and find solutions. Initiatives such as tunnel and elevated roads, and e-khata for the property management system, among others, have also been taken in the last three years.

"Along with physical infrastructure, improving the quality of life will be the focus. With that goal, I have been given this responsibility, and taking everyone together, keeping aside party differences, I will work," he added.

Acknowledging that the pothole issue is a long-standing one, he assured that sincere efforts will be made to address them.

Gowda questioned officials whether roads cannot be built by ensuring there are no potholes in the future. "Is it impossible?"

"By tightening the system we should focus on prevention," he said, adding that along with improving road quality, potholes should be immediately repaired whenever they occur.

On the garbage issue, the minister said along with ensuring efficiency in the garbage collection system, the public also needs to cooperate by not throwing garbage on the roadside.

To a query on allegations of large-scale corruption worth crores of rupees in the garbage tender, he said the government has constituted a high-level committee of officials to evaluate the tender.