BENGALURU: Former state agriculture and RDPR minister Krishna Byre Gowda has been appointed to the Central Election Authority of the Congress, a national position he has occupied for the first time.
You moved a no-confidence motion, but are not pushing for a division.
On Friday, we said we will not press for a division on humanitarian grounds, because many MLAs are unwell and cannot come to the House. Division means forcing them to come and that would be wrong. We have made the point we needed to make.
You have been appointed to the AICC Central Election Authority. How will you make a difference?
Over 50 per cent of the reconstituted body has new faces. Sonia Gandhi is working to bring a full-time president and CEA is responsible for conducting elections. We will meet in the first week of October and I assume we will go for AICC president election. We will conduct polls across the country.
You have said that the state should not borrow as it increases the debt burden.
In the budget, the state government had proposed to borrow Rs 46,000 crore this year and now it wants additional Rs 33,000-44,000 crore, adding up to about Rs 90,000 crore. We are not getting around Rs 30,000 crore, which was our rightful share. Because of this, we have to borrow and this loan will reduce funds for development and welfare schemes. This is fiscal irresponsibility.
The Congress has also referred to agri sector reforms in its manifesto. What is your response to the party’s agitation?
The Congress understands that reforms are necessary. This is not a reform, but a complete handing over of the sector to private players. Farmers are apprehensive that large private conglomerates will dominate the agri-market. The government is rushing ahead without understanding the full consequences.
Revenue Minister R Ashoka said the Congress when in power, amended Section 79A related to agriculture. What is your response?
We decided only to increase the non-agricultural income from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 25 lakh when I was agriculture minister. The BJP protested then, saying it will be the “death of land reforms and will finish off Karnataka farmers”. We never allowed non-farmers to buy agriculture land.
