After a weekend of brainstorming, including a viewing of the Al Gore film An Inconvenient Truth, at a private resort outside Bangalore, Karnataka’s ministers and bureaucrats lead by Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa are back with a bunch of ideas that include a parking tax in Bangalore, an end to registration of auto-rickshaws, a token system for police complaints and relocation of a home for the destitute.

All ministers barring five who sought leave of absence from the 36-member Yeddyurappa ministry and 40 bureaucrats from various departments took part in the 13-hour brainstorming session called Manthana, held at the Golden Palms Spa and Resort owned by actor-director Sanjay Khan on the outskirts of Bangalore, over the weekend. Khan himself made an appearance there.

The objective behind the brainstorming was to evolve new ideas, programmes and action strategy to improve administration and make it people friendly, the Chief Minister said. The exercise is also widely seen as an effort by the CM to show that he is in control of the one-year-old BJP government especially amid controversies and dissidence. “One positive aspect of the meetings was the fact that ministers and bureaucrats expressed their opinions without fear or hesitation,” Yeddyurappa said.

Administrative initiatives emerging from the meetings include a plan for re-distribution of government employees from departments with less work to departments with more work and a counselling system while effecting transfers.

Among ideas emerging for Bangalore include the creation of a park at the site of a home for the destitute while relocating the home outside Bangalore, development of the Devika Rani Roerich estate and the relocation of the race course.

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