The BJP has demanded that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah visit all the rain-hit areas in Yadgir, Kalaburagi and Raichur districts and announce a special relief package to farmers who have lost standing crops in the heavy rain and hailstorm that hit these places in the past few days.
Addressing a press conference after visiting some rain-hit areas in Naikal and nearby villages in Shahpur taluk in Yadgir district on Saturday, the former Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly Jagdish Shettar, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council K.S. Eshwarappa and president of the State unit of the BJP Pralhad Joshi, said that the Chief Minister’s fleeting visit to Gangavati and other areas in Koppal was not enough. He should take up a comprehensive tour of the affected areas to get first-hand information of the loss suffered by the farmers, they said.
The BJP leaders sought a compensation higher than that fixed by the Union and State governments for the farmers, because their loss did not commensurate with the actual compensation paid.
Accusing the State government of spreading falsehood about the Union government, Mr. Joshi said that the Centre would be releasing Rs. 1.83 lakh crore to the State during the 14th Finance Commission period (2015 to 2020), against the Rs. 61,000 crore released to the State during the 13th Finance Commission period (2010 to 2015).
Mr. Shetter alleged that Mr. Siddaramaiah had ignored providing funds for irrigation projects and added that just Rs. 12,500 crore was earmarked in the current budget for irrigation projects to be taken up in the State though he had promised Rs. 10,000 crore for the Upper Krishna Projects alone during the ‘Congress nadige Krishneya kadege’ (Congress procession for Krishna) at Kudalasangama in Bagalkot district.
‘Chief Minister’s fleeting visit is
not enough’
