Accusing the BJP-led Union government of stepmotherly treatment towards Karnataka, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah alleged that it had not released a single rupee for paying drought relief to the farmers in the State.
“We had submitted a request to the Union government seeking ₹17,900 crore drought relief and the latter had not released a single rupee even a month after our request. Its stepmotherly treatment is such that our Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda, Agriculture Minister N. Chaluvarayaswamy and RDPR [Rural Development and Panchayat Raj] Minister Priyank Kharge were not allowed to meet the Prime Minister. Though the Union government did not release any amount for drought relief, we, the State government, have provided around ₹ 900 crore to take up essential relief measures such as providing drinking water,” he said to meidapersons at Basapur Airstrip in Koppal district before leaving for Hosapete on Thursday.
Ridiculing the proposed tour of the BJP leaders in the drought-hit areas in the State, the Chief Minister asked them to first approach their own government at the Centre and put pressure to release the drought relief instead of touring the State.
“We are doing our work. There are 26 [BJP] Lok Sabha members and what are they doing? If they have any responsibility, they should pressurise their government at the Centre to release the drought relief,” he said.
When asked whether All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary K.C. Venugopal and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Surjewala visited the State to douse conflict and discontentment in State Congress leadership, Mr. Siddaramaiah dismissed it and stated that the national leaders were in the State to discuss the party’s preparations for Lok Sabha elections 2024 and the appointment of chairmen to Boards and Corporations.
To a question on Congress legislators taking up Dubai tour at the time of drought and distress, the Chief Minister justified the legislators by stating that they were going abroad on their own funds. “I don’t know who all are going. Everybody doesn’t inform me before going somewhere. That is their personal matter. I want to make it clear that we [the government] are not sending anybody,” he said.
