Shettar seeks White Paper on flood, drought relief

 The State BJP on Tuesday demanded that the State government come out with a White Paper on funds released for flood and drought relief, stating that grants had not reached victims nor any mitigation measures were taken up.

Addressing a press conference, Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Jagadish Shettar said that though the government had claimed to have released Rs 230 crore for relief works in drought and flood-hit districts, people continue to be in distress.

“How much compensation has been paid to those who lost their crops and houses in the floods? The government has failed to respond to the miseries of the people. We demand a White Paper on the utilisation of funds,” Shettar said.

The former chief minister said that the recent attack on IAS officer Rashmi V Mahesh in Mysore reflected the law and order situation in the State. “A woman IAS officer was assaulted even amid police protection and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah did not even have the courtesy to speak to her,” Shettar said.

On senior IAS officer Amita Prasad, whom Rashmi has accused of misappropriation of funds at the Administrative Training Institute, Mysore, being taken for central deputation by the NDA government, Shettar said he would take up the issue with the Centre.

Shettar said the State government was in two minds on holding the winter session of the legislature in Belgaum as it feared a backlash from sugar cane farmers in the district. “Sugar cane farmers have not been given their dues and blame the government for their miseries. The government is trying to avoid holding the legislature session in Belgaum, fearing protests,” he said.