‘Centre’s welfare programmes did not benefit Kodagu’

DCC spokesperson V P Shashidhar alleged that people in Kodagu have not been benefited from the welfare programmes of the Central government.

He further said that BJP candidate from Mysore-Kodagu Lok Sabha constituency Pratap Simha has been engaged in giving false assurances to people by wearing the mask of Modi.

Speaking to reporters, he said, "Pratap Simha will be defeated in the election. Fearing the defeat, he (Simha) is trying to impress upon the voters by posing with a false image of the development works. The voters in the district will teach a lesson to Prathap Simha."

He said, "The incumbent MP had given false information to the people of the district on the implementation of recommendations of Kasturirangan report."

With the import of pepper from Vietnam, the prices of pepper in the domestic market had collapsed, pushing the farmers to hardship. In spite of being a member of the Spices Board, Pratap Simha did not make any effort to stabilise the price of pepper in the domestic market, said Shashidhar.

The previous MP used to visit each Gram Panchayat in the district. Unfortunately, Simha is not aware of the path leading the Gram Panchayats in the district, he added.

V P Shashidhar said that Union minister Smriti Irani had accused the coalition partners of supporting the contractors against whom IT raid was conducted. But when a Lokayukta probe was ordered on B S Yeddyurappa in the past, the BJP had called for a bandh in the district. Hence, the BJP has no moral right to speak on coalition partners.

He said that Prime Minister Modi who had conducted an aerial survey to assess the rain damage in Kerala did not visit Kodagu when the district was ravaged following flood and landslides. The Centre did not respond to the woes of the district.