Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar along with their cabinet colleagues and Congress leaders staged a dharna in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue on the Vidhana Soudha premises on Sunday, April 28, in protest against the “meagre” amount released by the Centre as drought relief.
The Centre on April 27 announced release of ₹3,454 crore as drought relief while the State had sought ₹18,173 crore. This followed the Centre’s assurance to Supreme Court based on a petition filed by the Karnataka government seeking early release of drought relief. Though Karnataka had requested drought relief in October, the Centre had not released the relief forcing the State Government to knock on the doors of Supreme Court. Congress government has said that the sum is too meagre and continuing its protest.
At the protest, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah slammed the Centre and said the sum is testimony to continued injustice meted out to the State by the Centre.
Relief is welfare, not alms
Stating that the drought relief was not alms sought by the State Government, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said that the drought relief was for farmers’ welfare, and that their fight for higher compensation will continue before the court and the people.
“People are struggling to get work due to prevailing drought. The number of man days under NREGA has not been increased... The Centre has not respected what it owes us in a federal structure.”
“Karnataka sought drought relief in September. Since then, more than ₹50,000 crore losses have been reported. Amid all this, we have given ₹2,000 as initial drought relief per farmer. Karnataka had to go to the Supreme Court to get drought relief, that too a pittance,” said the Deputy Chief Minister, adding that the Centre has to pay compensation for losses since September too.
