Pulling up Karnataka health minister for not providing job security to medical personnel hired on contract basis, Bharatiya Janata Party MLC Ayanur Manjunath called the former an inefficient minister.
Ayanur said that K Sudhakar hasn’t done anything so far to help those appointed under the National Health Mission on contract basis—neither providing them job security nor revising their salaries.
Speaking to media persons here on Monday, Ayanur said the medical professionals had discharged their duties with earnestness throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, by risking their lives. Yet, the state health minister hadn’t addressed their issues.
Ayanur questioned why the health minister hadn’t taken any steps despite a report on the matter being submitted a year ago by a panel headed by retired IAS officer Narasimhachar.
The state government had constituted a panel for the revision of salaries of those appointed on contract basis. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, after being urged by former CM B S Yediyurappa, directed Sudhakar to present the report in the cabinet meeting. It had not been presented so far, Ayanur said.
“We have got a great minister. When other ministers call Sudhakar to ask anything, he doesn’t respond. The appeals made by senior MLAs aren’t getting any response. Sudhakar is not responding to the issues of his own department. If it continues, department staff might stage agitation against the minister. So, he must respond to their issues,” Ayanur said.
Ayanur said he was embarrassed as he had to criticise someone from his own party’s government. For Ayanur, who had reportedly met Sudhakar to explain the issues, the inaction was worrisome. “Sudhakar must take corrective steps at the earliest. If not, we may have to launch agitation against him,” Ayanur asserted.