KARNATAKA: Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy on Friday accused the Congress government in Karnataka of engaging with the Centre in name only on drought management, saying it had failed to press sincerely for relief for farmers.
Speaking to reporters at BHEL's factory premises in Vijayanagar during the state's 71st Rajyotsava celebrations, he said the government had spent two months writing to the Centre for compensation rather than pressing the case in person.
He alleged that the Chief Minister, D.K. Shivakumar, and his deputy, G. Parameshwara, had not called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah or the relevant Union ministers to press the state's case. The demand for drought relief, he said, had climbed from Rs 3,000 crore at the outset to Rs 26,000 crore.
He also criticised a proposal to send an all-party delegation to Delhi, describing it as a move made without any genuine attempt to persuade the Centre.
Recalling his own tenure as chief minister, Mr. Kumaraswamy said he had written off farmers' loans worth Rs 25,000 crore from the state's own tax revenue rather than waiting for central funds. He said he had met the President in person to secure approval for the Debt Relief Act, and noted that the current Deputy Chief Minister was part of his government then.
On the guarantee schemes, he alleged that people were being financially burdened to offset losses from their implementation. He questioned the 33-40 per cent bus fare increase that followed the free travel for women offered under the Shakti scheme, and said the Rs 8 per litre milk price rise would be welcome only if the extra money reached farmers, warning that sharper increases could hurt Nandini sales and open the market to private dairies.
Responding to reported remarks by Home Minister Priyank Kharge calling him a village fool and unintelligent, Mr. Kumaraswamy said he was indeed a fool for having waived the Rs 25,000 crore. "If I had been as intelligent as them, I would have spent that Rs 25,000 crore on roads ... and collected 30 to 40 per cent commission," he said.
He challenged Mr. Kharge to substantiate the allegations against him and denied any real estate dealings, in politics or during his time as chief minister, saying he had bought 45 acres near Bidadi before entering politics while working in films. He accused his critics of misusing government land in the name of the Siddhartha Trust, and alleged that land had been appropriated for an aerospace park and for a memorial in Kalaburagi.
(With inputs from media reports)