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Ms. Karandlaje held the State government responsible for the five deaths reported post Tipu Jayanti and demanded that it to stop the celebrations from the next year.
Ms. Karandlaje alleged that the State government had neither taken up any drought-relief work nor had it disbursed any compensation to drought-hit farmers even after the Union government released funds.
“The State government had sought Rs. 3,000 crore for handling the drought situation and the Union government has released Rs. 1,450 crore. But, relief work has not been taken anywhere,” she said.
She said that BJP MPs from the State and herself would ensure that the Union government released any amount of funds under the National Disaster Relief Fund (NDRF), if the State government made efforts to utilise the funds already granted.
“There is a cap on States for spending under NDRF. The Chief Minister and his Cabinet colleagues should read the change in the guidelines. If they sought more funds without using what has already been released, none can help,” she added.
On the State’s financial status, Ms. Karandlaje said that the total borrowings during the previous BJP government was Rs. 42,000 crore for five years, but the Congress government had borrowed Rs. 45,000 crore in its first two years of rule.
Welcomed
Welcoming the State government’s CLF lamp drive, Ms. Karandlaje suggested that it appoint a cultural icon as programme promoter instead of appointing politicians such as the former Congress MP Ramya. She demanded that the Chief Minister remove Social Welfare Minister H. Anjaneya from the Cabinet and order an inquiry into the allegations of corruption in the Minister’s department.
“We are going to lay siege to the Vidhana Soudha on Monday seeking Mr. Anjaneya’s resignation and in protest against the misrule of the government,” she announced.
BJP district unit president Basan Gowda Byagwatt and party leader N. Shankarappa were present.
