The former Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly Jagadish Shettar has demanded that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah lead an all-party delegation to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other Union Ministers seeking a special package to tackle the drought situation in the State.
Addressing a press conference along with former Deputy Chief Minister R. Ashok here on Monday, Mr. Shettar said the State government cannot blame the Union government without presenting its case before it for special assistance to tackle the serious situation prevailing in the State.
He said the State government cannot absolve its responsibility by shifting the entire blame on the Union government and should take up the drought relief works and pay the compensation to the farmers from its own funds also.
Mr. Shettar criticised the State government for maintaining stoic silence on the vociferous demand of the farming community for the waiver of the crop loans availed in nationalised and cooperative banks as a one-time measure and help the farmers overcome the present crisis. The State government should take a decision to waive off the loans up to Rs. 2 lakh availed in nationalised and cooperative banks.
He claimed that the Union government had also promised to chip in, if the State government comes forward to waive off the crop loans. He came down heavily on the State government for what he called “an indifferent attitude” in providing compensation to families of farmers who had committed suicide.
