- Eastern India to become aluminium manufacturing hub: Kishan Reddy
- CM seeks Centre’s intervention to expedite key water projects
- SIR will have no bearing on Khairatabad bypoll: Danam
- Moderate rain forecast across TN for two days
- Counter TVK slogan with ‘Om Kali, Jai Kali’: Udhayanidhi
- Question CM, two TVK ministers over remarks linked to Veeramani POCSO case
- Vijay launches gold ring scheme for newborns in Madurai
- Stalin refused ‘back-door’ power after Jaya’s demise: Kanimozhi
MLAs, ministers and CM failed to take drought seriously: BJP Kisan Morcha
In Short
Speaking to the media at the BJP state office Jagannath Bhavan, Nadahalli alleged that the special session convened to discuss the drought was held merely as a formality and that neither the Chief Minister nor most legislators showed seriousness about the situation
Share :
Bengaluru: Former MLA and BJP Kisan Morcha State President A.S. Patil Nadahalli has demanded that Chief Minister D K Shivakumar apologise to the people of Karnataka for what he described as insensitive remarks about farmers during the special Assembly session held to discuss the drought situation.
Speaking to the media at the BJP state office Jagannath Bhavan, Nadahalli alleged that the special session convened to discuss the drought was held merely as a formality and that neither the Chief Minister nor most legislators showed seriousness about the situation. “Crops have been destroyed due to the lack of monsoon rains, and there has been no adequate rainfall during the subsequent season either. At such a time, neither the Revenue Minister nor the Chief Minister spoke about what advice should be given to farmers. The government could have taken a collective decision on measures to tackle the drought, but it neglected the issue,” he alleged.
Nadahalli said only a handful of legislators, including Aland MLA B.R. Patil, spoke seriously about the drought. He alleged that legislators should have discussed the issue above party lines and presented a comprehensive picture of the impact across Karnataka.“The impact of drought is different across the coastal region, Malnad, Mysuru-Karnataka and Kittur-Karnataka regions. There was no discussion on the precautionary measures required in these regions,” he said.
He described the current situation as a severe and different kind of drought, saying it was a “hydrological drought” rather than one restricted to agriculture. “Earlier droughts were largely limited to agriculture. This time, lakes have dried up and groundwater levels have depleted. Water is being stored and used for livestock,” he said.
Nadahalli criticised the government’s response to farmers’ concerns, alleging that the Revenue Minister’s response while replying to the drought discussion did not reflect the difficulties faced by farmers. “When the media questioned whether the announced assistance of ₹2,500 was inadequate, the response was made lightly. They said rice had been provided, but that was provided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They said electricity was being supplied, but farmers are not using that electricity to sleep comfortably in air-conditioned homes. Even electricity is not being supplied at the proper time. It is often supplied at 2 or 3 in the morning, forcing farmers to go to their fields at the risk of their lives,” he said. He said people should not forget that everyone depends on the food produced by farmers.
Nadahalli alleged that the Chief Minister’s speech did not contain any words expressing concern for farmers. There was no assurance that the government stands with farmers. The Chief Minister spoke more about Bengaluru. This was hurtful to the people of Karnataka. Bengaluru is not the property of the Chief Minister or his father. It belongs to Karnataka, and people from across the State have the right to live and work here, he said.
