A day after Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman admitted that there had been delay in releasing drought relief funds to Karnataka, the State government on Sunday slammed the Centre for doing injustice to Karnataka.
The government has already moved the Supreme Court over the delay by the Centre in providing drought relief.
“Thanking” the Finance Minister for acknowledging the injustice done to the State, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said: “Ms. Sitharaman has said that the election has delayed relief but what is the connection between relief and election? We submitted our drought relief appeal four months ago. There was no model code of conduct then and now she has used election as an alibi. She has admitted to the delay in providing relief and in meting out injustice to Karnataka. This justifies Congress MP D.K. Suresh’s campaign -- Our tax, our right.”
At the election rally in support of Bengaluru North Congress candidate Rajeev Gowda, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said: “(Prime Minister) Narendra Modi tells a lie, (Union Home Minister) Amit Shah tells another lie, and Ms. Sitharaman adds another lie. Will the people’s vote be respected if they vote for this party, which is a factory of lies?” The State has been subjected to extreme injustice in sharing the tax money of the people, he added.
The Chief Minister said: “When people of the State were suffering from floods and droughts, Mr. Modi and Mr. Shah did not visit Karnataka. Till date, not a single rupee has been released for drought relief from the State’s share. Seven crore people of Karnataka should safeguard their self-respect by defeating the BJP that betrayed people of the State.”
Minister in Delhi
Meanwhile, Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda is on a visit to Delhi to hold discussions with advocates representing Karnataka in the case against the Centre over the delay in drought relief, in the Supreme Court.
Seeking intervention in the release of drought relief under the National Disaster Response Fund, the State government in March filed a petition in the apex court over the delay in release of drought relief by the Centre.
As many as 223 out of the 236 taluks have been declared drought-hit as the State recorded below normal rainfall this monsoon, affecting crops in about 48 lakh hectares.
While the State has estimated the loss due to drought to be about ₹35,000 crore, in October last year it had sought compensation of ₹18,171 crore.
Sources in the Revenue Department said that the Minister would be part of the discussions to chart out strategy for Karnataka’s argument in the court.
