Bangalore : The Cabinet met on Wednesday to consider how best can a resigning Lokayukta be appeased. When the Lokayukta himself was willing to take back his resignation as suddenly as he gave it. Lokayukta is not a speaker, he is the creature of the state govt, whether under late R.K. Hegde or present CM, Bookanakere Yeddyurappa. The govt has not given full powers to Panchayat to develop themselves in a Panchayati Raj even under 40 years of Congress rule in Delhi. How will a state govt provided a Lokayukta (Ombudsmen) a sword that will be used against erring legislators and govt, executives? Justice N. Santhosh Hegde is asking for the moon, but BJP govt may show him the moon reflected in a tub of water, as Sri Rama in his childhood was guided by Vasista.
Without giving necessary powers demanded by the Lokayukta who complained of ‘non-cooperation’ of BJP cabinet in doing his job for them, the ruling party govt is diverting the attention to expansion of cabinet by dropping half  a dozen useless minister and replacing them with new ministers and by re-shufflement of old portfolios. The clever political trick will not succeed, if you ask us. The ministers may come and go, but people who were given democracy in 1947 will remain the losers and continue to be sufferers under their own representatives, who promise to destroy huts in rural areas without constructing safe housing colonies for he farmers. Does the BJP think that people who voted them to power are so gullible? Brining in new ministers, or restricting Lokayukta powers, does not root out corruption. But all the same, we welcome N. Yogish Bhat and Shrinivas Shetty from coastal districts as new ministers when they are sworn in.