Bengaluru, Sep 24 Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Thursday appealed to the Opposition BJP to join the government in seeking Central assistance for drought relief, saying there was no room for political confrontation when farmers were facing distress.
Concluding the Assembly’s discussion on the drought situation, Shivakumar sought cooperation from the Opposition and defended the government’s efforts to assess the situation and provide relief to farmers.
“I don’t want confrontation. I want cooperation,” Shivakumar said, responding to Leader of Opposition R Ashoka’s demand for greater relief to farmers and a farm loan waiver.
Shivakumar said he had asked ministers to visit their respective districts soon after the government was formed and conduct three-day inspections to assess the ground situation.
He accused the Opposition of not showing sufficient concern for farmers and poor people and said the Assembly discussion should instead be used to find solutions.
Referring to Ashoka’s intervention during the debate, Shivakumar welcomed the Opposition leader’s willingness to join a delegation to Delhi to seek relief from the Centre.
“I would like to congratulate the Leader of the Opposition. He said he will join us as part of the delegation. I salute him for this,” he said.
Shivakumar said he had already written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking drought assistance and urged Ashoka to join the effort to secure Central support.
The CM said the state had sought interim assistance from the Centre as the drought situation worsened across Karnataka.
Responding to Ashoka’s criticism of the Rs 2,500 immediate assistance announced for drought-hit farmers and his demand for a farm loan waiver and higher compensation, Shivakumar said the government was aware of the difficulties faced by farmers and had taken several measures.
He said the state alone could not bear the entire financial burden and suggested that the Centre and state work together to address the issue.
“Let us go to the PM. I have sought an appointment with him. Let us join together, work together and request him to waive these loans,” Shivakumar said.
He defended the state’s financial management, saying the Finance Department was duty-bound to advise the government on expenditure and borrowing.
Shivakumar said Karnataka had maintained fiscal discipline despite the financial burden of ongoing projects and various commitments.
On the drought, he said farmers had suffered after sowing crops following initial rainfall, only to see them dry up subsequently.
(PTI News)
