Accusing the BJP-led Union government of stepmotherly treatment towards Karnataka, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah alleged that it had not released a single rupee for paying drought relief to the farmers in the State.
“We had submitted a request to the Union government seeking ₹17,900 crore drought relief and the latter had not released a single rupee even a month after our request. Its stepmotherly treatment is such that our Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda, Agriculture Minister N. Chaluvarayaswamy and RDPR [Rural Development and Panchayat Raj] Minister Priyank Kharge were not allowed to meet the Prime Minister. Though the Union government did not release any amount for drought relief, we, the State government, have provided around ₹ 900 crore to take up essential relief measures such as providing drinking water,” he said to meidapersons at Basapur Airstrip in Koppal district before leaving for Hosapete on Thursday.
Ridiculing the proposed tour of the BJP leaders in the drought-hit areas in the State, the Chief Minister asked them to first approach their own government at the Centre and put pressure to release the drought relief instead of touring the State.
