Administrative reforms commission recommends closure of seven boards and corporations, and merger of nine others

Amid the ongoing process of political appointments to various boards and corporations, the Karnataka Administrative Reforms Commission-2 (KARC-2) has recommended closure of seven bodies and merger of nine others with those with overlapping functions.

In its ninth report submitted to the government on Thursday, the KARC-2 led by veteran MLA R.V. Deshpande examined financial sustainability, relevance, staffing pattern, and the functioning of management committees before arriving at such a recommendation. 

Recommended for closure

The boards and corporations whose closure has been recommended are: Karnataka State Social Welfare Board, Karnataka State Temperance Board, Karnataka Cooperative Poultry Federation, Karnataka Pulpwood Limited, Karnataka State Agro-Corn Products Limited, Mysore Lamp Works Limited, and Karnataka Agro Industries Corporation Limited. 

The commission that reviewed the functioning of 82 boards and corporations has recommended merging of nine such bodies with similar entities. These include Karnataka State AIDS Prevention Society, Karnataka Silk Industries Corporation Ltd., Bengaluru Suburban Railway Company Ltd. (B-RIDE), Karnataka Handloom Development Corporation Ltd., Ahara Karnataka Ltd., and Karnataka Cashew Development Corporation Ltd. 

The State government constituted KARC-2 in January 2021 to recommend comprehensive measures for enhancing transparency, efficiency, and accountability in public administration. The commission’s mandate includes restructuring administrative systems, simplifying citizen-centric service delivery, and strengthening institutional governance across departments.  

The ninth report covers new and emerging issues not addressed in earlier reports and presents 449 new recommendations across four major themes.