Q&A With Kagodu Thimmappa: ‘CM, ministers must work hard and fast’
Kagodu Thimmappa, an octogenerian politician, does not mind calling a spade a spade. Even before becoming Speaker of the Legislative Assembly after the 2013 elections, he was no different. He is one of the few leaders who have been consistently fighting for the Bagar Hukum land cultivators. At a time when the state government is serving notices on 11 lakh people across the state with an intention to evict them and file cases against them, Mr Thimmappa once took on the government saying it had not shown any commitment to resolve this problem. In an interview with Deccan Chronicle, the veteran leader spoke about various issues including ministers’ non-performance. Excerpts from the interview
The state government has been serving notices on people who are cultivating on encroached land. You are one of those who have opposed this. How do you assess the situation?
Notices have been served under 192-A of the Karnataka Revenue Act. The government has been making preparations to file criminal cases against those who encroached on revenue land. It is also building grounds to file criminal cases and slap penalties on farmers.
The government should withdraw these notices failing which bureaucrats will exploit the situation. The government should be regularising the land and forming Bagar Hukum committees. There are two more categories of forest land which have been encroached upon, Till the petitions are settled no one should be evicted. Under section 94-C of the Revenue Act, many have built houses. These people should not be evicted. I feel the government should give land titles to people.
But, the chief minister and his cabinet colleagues are saying the government is duty bound to follow the Supreme Court judgement.
As far as I know there are no court judgements. You (government) enacts legislations. It is your duty to go before the court and plead what kind of legislations you would like to bring to resolve this conflict. Wherever necessary, you need to tell the court what is your plan of action to resolve the problem.
How many people are affected due to this? Is the problem prevalent in Malnad region?
I believe that around 11 lakh people and their families are affected. This is a rough figure. Even the government does not know the exact figure. Across the state, people have built on encroached land. So, you can’t say it is only the problem of Malnad region.
What is the way out?
First there should be a positive move by the government to resolve the problem. You (the government) should show interest. If you have no interest, then there is no way out. You have to tell the court that an amendment will be brought to the Revenue Act. The Revenue minister and chief minister should show interest to resolve this. If not, this issue will take a serious turn and the government can’t face the people.
Moving on, the government is committed to hold legislature sessions for 60 days in a year. How long should the session be?
This year, we have completed 43 days. We have to have sessions for another 17 days to reach the mandatory 60-day mark. I have sought the time of the chief minister and have written a letter to him, but have not got any reply. On Wednesday, I talked to the law and parliamentary affairs minister. He said he would take up this issue in the cabinet and pass a resolution.
After you pulled up the state government, the government held a file clearance drive. Are you happy with the way governance is delivered?
There is a feeling among people and intellectuals that there is slackness in the delivery system. The impression is that things are not moving fast enough. When a new government comes to power, one has to feel the change. Frankly speaking, that change is not visible. The government should fix time-bound programmes. But it’s not happening.
KPCC president Dr G. Parameshwar has gone on record saying that there are some ineffective ministers in the state cabinet. Do you agree with his view?
I can’t comment on this. The Chief Minister said he will give good government. To provide good government, he should know ministers and the CM should work hard and fast. To achieve this, they should decide what they should do.
On seeing issues such as that pertaining to Bagair Hukum land or the failure to respond to freedom fighter H.S. Doreswamy’s agitation on land grab, do you feel the state government is acting too slow?
I agree. That impression is gaining ground. Many ministers do not care to visit Vidhana Soudha. It is easy to announce programmes, but difficult to implement them. You have to live up to the expectations of the people. You should periodically conduct inspections and crack the whip on ministers and officers. Then the government machinery will actively work.
Are you planning to join the Siddaramaiah cabinet in the next expansion. Congress legislator Malikayya Guttedar told us last week that the party’s leader in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge had recommended your name to the chief minister. How do you react to this?
This is far from the truth. I can’t stoop to the level of getting Mr Kharge to influence Mr Siddaramaiah. Mr Guttedar wants to be a minister. So, he might have woven a story.
