BJP State unit president and former Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa paid a formal and fleeting visit to villages in Manvi, Lingasugur, Deodurg and Sindhanur taluks in Raichur district on Saturday as part of his tour of drought-hit areas in the State. The party’s district unit had ensured that he was greeted with garlands and welcoming slogans everywhere. Addressing small crowds in the villages, Mr. Yeddyurappa attacked the State government for its “sound sleep” in times of crisis and ‘failure’ to take up drought relief work in the affected areas.
Speaking to presspersons at Hucchubuddeshwara Math at Anvari village in Lingasugur taluk, Mr. Yeddurappa criticised the State government for not utilising the drought relief funds released by the Union government.
“The Union government has released Rs. 2,575 crore to the State for taking up drought relief work. However, the State government has not spent about Rs. 700 crore yet. It is neither spending from the State treasury nor is it using Central funds. It is playing with the lives of common people by pointing fingers at the Centre and not spending from its own funds. When we were in power during the 2009 floods, we did not ask for money from the Centre for taking up relief work. We pooled funds from our own resources and effectively handled the situation,” he said.
When asked, he said that he would submit his observations in a form of a consolidated report to the Chief Secretary, the Governor and the Prime Minister with concrete recommendations of measures to be taken up on priority basis. “The government is not doing its duties while we, as an Opposition, are doing ours. If the government won’t swing into action and initiate drought-relief work, the people will have to rise in revolt to teach it a lesson,” he said.
To a question, Mr. Yeddyurappa said that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his Cabinet colleagues undertook tours in drought-hit areas only after “we started to move in those areas.” “Had we not started the tour in drought-hit areas, the government would have continued to be in sound sleep.”
Contribution
Mr. Yeddyurappa said that, upon the directive of the party, all MLAs, MLCs and MPs of the BJP have decided to contribute one month’s salary towards taking up drought relief work. “We will collect the money and hand it over to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh which is going to open goshalas in drought-hit areas,” he said.
