JOIN USCong leaders to meet Sonia for drought relief
The State Congress will soon meet AICC President Sonia Gandhi seeking more funds from the Centre to tackle the drought situation in the State, Karnataka State Congress Committee (KPCC) President G Parameshwara said on Sunday.
Speaking after launching a booklet highlighting the alleged anti-farmer decisions taken by the BJP government during the last four years, Parameshwara said four teams of Congress leaders were undertaking a tour of drought-hit districts from Monday.
They would submit reports to both the State government and the Centre, he said. “We plan to meet the AICC president soon after completing the tour programme,” he added.
The State Congress will also impress upon the Centre to announce a one-time waiver of crop loans availed from nationalised banks.
Parameshwara accused the State government of not taking the Opposition into confidence while taking up drought relief work. “The State government has made it a habit to blame the Centre to cover up its own failures,” the Congress leader said.
On several legislators, including those from the Congress, embarking on a foreign junket at a time when the State was reeling under severe drought, Parameshwara said Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly Siddaramaiah and himself had issued directions to party MLAs to skip the tour.
“Some of them have defied the directions. We will take a decision on whether any action can be taken against them after they return from the tour,” he said.
The booklet prepared by Anand Kumar, Vice-President of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee Kisan Congress Samithi charges the government with releasing only Rs 318 crore of the Rs 17,000 crore earmarked in the special agricultural budget this year.
Further, the government had reduced seed subsidy from 75 to 50 per cent.
The booklet accuses the State government of organising community conventions across the State while not showing the same interest when it comes to solving the problems faced by farmers.