Accusing the Congress government of yielding to the pressure of the sugar lobby, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday declared that the party would make it a big issue in the winter session of the State legislature beginning on November 25 in Belgaum, if sugarcane prices were not increased substantially.
Addressing a press conference in Bangalore, the former Chief Minister and BJP legislature party leader Jagadish Shettar alleged that the government was yet to issue a notification regarding sugarcane prices despite announcing recently that it would fix the price at Rs. 2,500 a tonne. This was an indication that it was being controlled by the sugar lobby.
“The BJP will not spare the government till a remunerative price is fixed for sugarcane,” he remarked.
He took exception to the government not notifying the rules for implementing the Sugarcane Advisory Prices Act brought about when he was the Chief Minister.
In addition to this, the BJP will give special focus to the issues related to the development and problems of north Karnataka.
Other issues include the alleged failure to give adequate importance to implementing the D.M. Nanjundappa report for removing regional imbalances and the delay in implementing the Upper Krishna Project works, he said.
Charging Chief Minister Siddaramaiah with mismanaging the State’s finances, he alleged that revenue collection by key departments had declined ever since the Congress took over governance. He alleged that various development schemes and welfare measures introduced by the BJP dispensation, including the housing and loan-waiver schemes had slackened due to lack of resources in the government.
He also accused Mr. Siddaramaiah of being “communal” and remarked that the nature of the schemes taken up by the Chief Minister had proved this.
Meanwhile, BJP leader R. Ashok said the BJP had submitted a memorandum to the State Chief Electoral Officer appealing to him to extend the deadline of November 29 for revision of voters’ list by a month due to the ongoing examinations for degree and post-graduation courses and the agricultural operations.
BJP Spokesperson S. Suresh Kumar, MLA B. N. Vijaykumar and former minister V. Somanna were also present at the press conference.
