Bengaluru, Oct 13 (PTI) Senior BJP leader R Ashoka on Tuesday sought a white paper on Karnataka’s drought management, accusing Chief Minister D K Shivakumar of prioritising an alleged sting operation over farmers’ distress.
The Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly said drought conditions prevailed in 217 taluks across the state, with estimated losses of Rs 46,324 crore, while the government had announced only Rs 1,500 crore in relief.
“As if he knows nothing about any of this, Shivakumar is talking about the sting operation and CDs. He has spent more time in New Delhi than in Karnataka. He has no concern for farmers. For the past 10 days, there has been nothing but discussions about the sting operation,” Ashoka alleged.
He claimed that farmers were returning the Rs 2,500 relief provided by the Congress government to deputy commissioners, saying the amount was inadequate to meet their needs.
Ashoka said groundwater levels had fallen sharply in several areas, with borewells failing to yield water even when drilled to considerable depths. In parts of Ballari, people were reportedly being forced to use fluoride-contaminated water, he claimed, accusing the government of failing to address drinking water concerns.
He alleged that ministers had not visited affected villages and that adequate measures had not been taken to address the crisis. The cost of ploughing a field alone could range from Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,000, making the relief announced by the government insufficient, he said.
Ashoka demanded that the government disclose the amount of drought relief released, the funds distributed to farmers and the measures taken to mitigate the crisis.
“The government should now release a white paper on the drought. How much relief has been released? How much money has been given to farmers? What works have been undertaken? The people need to know,” he said.
Ashoka said farmers were also under pressure from banks seeking loan repayments and microfinance companies pursuing collections.
He said the Cabinet should focus on farmers’ problems, drinking water supply and the proposed Mekedatu project instead of discussing the alleged sting operation.
The BJP leader called on the government to examine Maharashtra’s farm loan waiver measures and consider similar steps in Karnataka.
On the alleged sting operation, Ashoka demanded that an FIR be registered to establish who was behind it and called for a CBI probe.
Ashoka wrote to Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, drawing his attention to the drought situation in Karnataka and alleging that the Congress government had failed to manage the crisis.
He sought Gandhi’s intervention to ensure that the state government addressed pressing issues and provided relief to farmers and others affected by the drought.
“Karnataka’s farmers need meaningful relief now, not token assistance, delayed decisions or empty assurances,” Ashoka said in the letter.
“I hope you will treat this matter with the urgency it deserves and use your position as a senior leader of the Congress party to ensure that the Karnataka government accepts responsibility, corrects its failures and provides adequate and timely relief to every eligible farmer affected by this devastating drought,” he added. PTI KSU SSK
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