The Winter Session of state legislature commenced at the Suvarna Vidhan Soudha, Belagavi, from December 9.
Credit: DH File Photo
Belagavi: Lawmakers representing North Karnataka made impassioned pleas in the Assembly on Monday that the government should not neglect their region, with one of them cautioning that continued discrimination could revive the demand for a separate statehood.
At least nine MLAs spoke about North Karnataka’s problems during a special discussion on the region that Speaker UT Khader allowed.
“If you don't solve the problems related to the Upper Krishna Project (UKP), then calls will rise for a separate statehood for North Karnataka. Don't discriminate against North Karnataka,” Terdal BJP MLA Siddu Savadi said.
Savadi also spoke about problems being faced by weavers in the region. “The government should get school uniforms prepared by our weavers instead of awarding tenders to Ambani or Bombay Dyeing,” he added.
Navalgund Congress MLA NH Konaraddi sought special status for Kittur Karnataka on the lines of Article 371(J) for Kalyana Karnataka. “I don’t know if there’s an assumption that Kittur Karnataka is developed. The reality is that Kittur Karnataka is the most backward region,” he said.
According to Basavakalyan BJP MLA Sharanu Salagar, North Karnataka did not even have high schools when the Wadiyars created Mysuru city, the Krishna Raja Sagar and Vani Vilas Sagar dams. “Why is there no love for Kalaburagi, Yadgir and Raichur like there is for Mysuru, Bengaluru and Tumakuru? Why is there no prominence for Krishna like there is for Cauvery?” he said.
‘Nothing will happen’
Gurmitkal JD(S) MLA Sharanagowda Kandakur threw his hands up.
“People come to us with their problems hoping we’ll raise them here. But how much of what we discuss here translates into solutions? There are 91 MLAs from North Karnataka,” Kandakur said.
“I’ve decided that from the next session, I won’t use government accommodation or drink a single cup of coffee. I’ll look after my own. I know nothing will happen here. This session is just a two-week tour,” Kandakur said.
MLAs Shailendra Beldale, Channareddy Patil Tunnur, Manappa Vajjal, Allamprabhu Patil, Srinivas Mane and Nemiraj Naik also spoke about North Karnataka.
Cong MLAs demand law against online betting
Senior Congress MLA PM Narendraswamy asked his party’s government to bring a law against online betting.
“All 224 MLAs should think about what online betting is doing to your youngsters,” he said after BJP’s Sharanu Salagar pointed out that bright 22-year-olds were dying by suicide themselves because indebtedness due to online gambling.