Deve Gowda is partial: Puttannaiah

Melkote MLA K S Puttannaiah has alleged that JD(S) supremo and former prime minister H D Deve Gowda has not bothered about the welfare of Mandya farmers and has therefore not urged the state government to release water to the canals of the district from KRS.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had directed the officials to release water after Deve Gowda sought release of 1 tmcft of water to the right bank canal of Hemavathi reservoir to solve the drinking water problems and also fill the lakes and ponds of the region.

Puttannaiah said that Gowda has been stating that Hassan and Mandya districts are like his two eyes but he has been partial and has made the state government release water from Hemavathi Dam to canals in Hassan districts. He never sought release of water to canals in Mandya, Puttannaiah alleged.

A farmer leader alleged that, “With one phone call Deve Gowda made Chief Minister Siddaramaiah release water to canals in Hassan. But, despite several protests in Mandya, Gowda never came forward to support farmers here,” he said.