SHIVAMOGGA: Asserting that Congress will definitely seize power after the 2023 Assembly elections, Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah on Monday said the Congress government will resolve all issues of Malnad farmers, including those concerning Sharavathi evacuees.
Speaking at the Janakrosha meeting, organised to protect the interests of Sharavathi evacuees in the city, Siddaramaiah came down heavily against the BJP government and ridiculed CM Basavaraj Bommai, former CM BS Yediyurappa and former minister KS Eshwarappa for not addressing the problems of the evacuees.
He said a committee, headed by Ramesh Hegde, has submitted a report on the problems of the farming community, Sharavathi evacuees and bagair hukum cultivators of the Malnad region.
He said BJP, in its manifesto before the 2018 Assembly elections had made 600 promises, but met only 25 of them, while 30 promises have not been fully implemented. “But our government in 2013 met 157 of the 169 assurances made. BJP leaders and the government have betrayed the people by not keeping their promise,” he said.
During his tenure as CM, he constituted a committee under the chairmanship of principal secretary Madangopal to resolve the issues of Sharavathi evacuees. The committee recommended that title deeds be issued to the evacuees as per the Act prevailed between 1959 and 1970, under which it was not necessary to take the permission of the Centre. “Our government issued the title deeds. But now the high court has directed the government to take prior permission from the central government,” he said.
On the suicide of contractor Santhosh Patil, who had alleged that political leaders were demanding a high percentage of commission for projects, Siddaramaiah asked why was a B report filed in the case against Eshwarappa.
On Bommai’s statement that the Centre supplies free rice, Siddaramaiah said the Manmohan Singh government passed the Food Security Act. “It was the Congress government that gave free rice to four crore people in the state. But the BJP government reduced it from 7 kg to 5kg. If Congress comes to power, we will give 10 kg of rice free to the poor,” he said.
He ridiculed PM Narendra Modi for not replying to a letter written by the State Contractors Association about government representatives demanding 40 per cent commission. KPCC working president Dhruvanarayana, Congress leader Kagodu Thimmappa, party state V-P Revanna, former minister Kimmane Rathnakar, MLA BK Sangameshwar and others were present.