Mining report puts brakes on work at Vidhana Soudha

In 10 days, the CM has not signed a single letter of approval, sanctions are awaited for several projects and all because the babus worry about who will fall because of the report

In 10 days, the CM has not signed a single letter of approval, sanctions are awaited for several projects and all because the babus worry about who will fall because of the report

For the last two weeks, work at the Vidhana Soudha has come to a screeching halt and the babus have been doing nothing but awaiting the Mining Report with bated breath. Be it the Public Works Department (PWD), which needs sanctions and approvals from the Chief Minister on a daily basis, or the education department and civic bodies, a single file has not moved forward in the last two weeks. The corridor of legislative body of the city, which sees footfalls of over 1,000 people arriving for various approvals each day, has worn a deserted look.


Power corridors: Vidhan Soudha, which sees footfalls of over 1,000
people arriving for various approvals each day, wore a deserted look
yesterday. Pic/Satish Badiger

Frozen stiff?
"No one knows what will emerge from the mining drama now. We have not moved a single file forward in the last 10 days. When we approached the junior officers, they warned us to wait till the Lokayukta submits the report. Though the report is now out, they are still hesitant to take matters forward, as they are worried about who in the government is going to fall," said an official within the BBMP. The civic body has been waiting to get approvals on sanctions related to 10 infrastructure projects in the city and BDA seems to be facing a similar problem. An official said, "We were told to submit a few files this week, but when we came here, none of the authorities wanted to take things ahead."

Approvals awaited
The education department on the other hand has not made headway either and is awaiting an approval or two for concluded projects and had to get sanctions for five new projects across the state, none of which has been taken ahead. The mining report seems to have frozen the clocks at the PWD, which works in consultation with the CM's office on a daily basis. "No work has transpired, no approvals have been got and pleas are not being heard. The CM has signed not a single letter in the last 10 days," said a senior official from the PWD.