Saturday, February 4 2006 17:47 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Bangalore: Setting the agenda of JDS-BJP Government in Karnataka, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy today (Feb 4,2006) said the new regime wants the state to be 'number one' in development and the officials must work efficiently towards this with focus on making it a 'common man's Government'.

Kumaraswamy, a day after assuming office, told a meeting of senior officials including Principal Secretaries and Secretaries of various departments that they must attune themselves to match the speed and efficiency of the new Government and deliver goods quickly as the common people have great expectations from the new regime.

"Governments may come and governments may go. Chief Ministers may come and Chief Ministers may go but it is your responsibility to keep the administrative machinery running efficiently," he said, referring to reports that the administration was not functioning properly due to political uncertainty in the past one month.

He also set a timeframe of 15 days for top officials to give him inputs on implementing the 11-point 'Development Vision' presented by President A P J Abdul Kalam in a special address to a joint session of the state legislature during the golden jubilee celebrations of formation of Karnataka.

Asking the officials not to get bogged down with files, Kumaraswamy said they should instead quicken the pace of administrative work and focus on sectors such as agriculture, health and education so that the poor benefit.

Conscious of the strident criticism the previous JDS-Congress Government had attracted over infrastructural woes in Bangalore, particularly from the IT sector, he said his government was committed to making conditions better in the city.

Noting that there were complaints that the Government was not responding adequately in addressing infrastructural issues relating to Bangalore, Kumaraswamy said officials should within a month or two take steps to ensure that roads were in a better condition.

He said officials should also take the petitions submitted by the common man to the government seriously and respond to the issues raised by them within a week.

Kumaraswamy said he would not allow politics to influence transfer of officials and would encourage efficient and honest officials.

In his message, Deputy Chief Minister B S Yediyurappasaid the new coalition wanted to make Karnataka a 'model state' and asked officials not to entertain doubts about the longevity of the new government which, he said, would complete the remaining 40 months.

Within two or three months, the people should feel the change in governance, he told officials, asking them to make surprise visits to talukas every month to gain first hand knowledge of the ground realities in developmental activities.