Karnataka chief minister vows to bring in vast administrative changes

Karnataka chief minister BS Yeddyurappa, who is grappling with dissidence within the state party unit, today said he would give top priority to bring in comprehensive changes in administration.

"I will devote utmost attention towards improving administration, and people should themselves feel the change in the new year," he told reporters here.

"The whole of last year was an 'agni pareeksha' (test by fire) for me. The opposition made baseless and reckless allegations," he said, but did not refer to the campaign by some dissidents, led by state tourism minister G Janardhana Reddy, seeking his ouster.

The crisis, in October-November last, was defused with the party central leadership  working out a compromise formula between the warring factions.

Yeddyurappa said he would convene a meeting of the BJP's Legislature Party on January 4 to seek the support of legislators and party MPs.

Yeddyurappa, heading the first BJP government in the south, firmly ruled out treading a confrontational path with the centre.

Yeddyurappa said he would also appeal to the opposition to cooperate with the government in giving a boost to developmental programmes.

Karnataka has spent Rs1,300 crore under NREGP. "We want to achieve a target of at least Rs3,000 crore this year". Government will work with more commitment to ensure that farmers problems are redressed and allocation earmarked for SC / ST welfare is spent," he said.