HDK fires salvo at Siddaramaiah, accuses govt of inefficiency

JD(S) state president and former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy has accused the state government of being “inefficient”.

Kumaraswamy offered puja to Chamundeshwari atop the Chamundi Hill here on Friday. Kumaraswamy said that if the state government, led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, had fulfilled all the promises that figured in the Congress party manifesto in 2013, no farmer would have resorted to committing suicide. Kumaraswamy’s tirade was in context with Siddaramaiah’s claims that out of 165 promises, the government had fulfilled 155.

“All the programmes of Siddaramaiah are bogus. Even Anna Bhagya scheme is old. It was introduced during the tenure of Ramakrishna Hegde as chief minister. Back then, rice was given at Rs 2 per kg and now it is being given for free. The scheme is not the state government’s brainchild as the Union government has a big share in it,” he said.

When the reporters asked about a civic worker in Chamundi Hill Grama Panchayat being forced to get into a manhole to clean it , Kumaraswamy said, the issue was discussed in the Assembly session. “There are lapses on the part of the government. If the government had provided the required equipment, why would the civic worker be forced to perform such work,” he sought to know.

‘Farm loans not waived’
Kumaraswamy said that Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra state governments have merely announced farm loan waivers but they have not actually waived them. “The Union government has not provided funds to the governments to waive the loans. Instead of waiting for the Union’s move to waive off farm loans, Siddaramaiah should announce the state’s decision. The Union and state governments are neglecting the farmers and the people,” he said.

‘Compensation of Re 1’
Kumaraswamy sought clarification from the government for issuing a cheque for Re 1 to the farmers as drought compensation under National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF).

‘To tarnish JD(S) image’
With regard to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe against Kumaraswamy for his alleged involvement in permitting illegal mining of iron ore by taking a kickback of Rs 150 crore, he said, “The Supreme Court had quashed the case 11 years ago but the state government, led by the Congress and BJP leaders, are trying to tarnish my image.”

He asked former minister and BJP leader Janardhana Reddy, who had said that he would provide the documents, to contact Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to prepare fake documents. “Siddaramaiah would help Reddy through the police for preparing the documents,” Kumaraswamy said.

In reply to a query about JD(S) party’s stand on Presidential elections, he said, the party will take a stand on the basis of the decision taken by the Opposition parties.