BENGALURU: Deputy Chief Minister Dr G Parameshwara, who also holds the revenue portfolio, on Thursday rejected the Opposition’s charge in the Assembly that the State Government had failed to act on the India Meteorological Department’s drought warning, saying precautionary measures were initiated within three days of receiving the forecast.
He said the government received the IMD’s April 13 forecast indicating around 5% below-normal southwest monsoon rainfall and the possibility of drought. “Just three days later, on April 16, then Chief Minister Siddaramaiah convened a meeting of all Deputy Commissioners and Zilla Panchayat CEOs,” he said, while replying to the debate on drought in the Assembly.
Dr Parameshwara said that the State Government had since maintained continuous monitoring through district-level reviews, task-force meetings and field inspections.
Chief Minister DK Shivakumar also visited several drought-affected districts, including Chitradurga, Gadag, Bagalkot, Kalaburagi, Belagavi and Bidar, the DCM said.
“Therefore, it is not correct to say that the government ignored the warning or failed to take action,” Parameshwara said. He said Karnataka had recorded a 36% rainfall deficit up to September 23, with drinking water problems reported in 531 villages across 111 taluks and 81 wards in 15 urban local bodies. Water was being supplied through tankers and private borewells, while funds had been released for drilling borewells and other emergency measures, he said.
Around Rs 420 crore was available in the PD accounts of Deputy Commissioners, the DCM said.
CM rushes back, DCM says ‘I got mammoth strength’
CM DK Shivakumar returned to Bengaluru from his scheduled visit to Chitradurga on Thursday evening as Dr Parameshwara was replying to the drought debate on his behalf.
On Shivakumar reaching the Assembly, Parameshwara remarked as he had got “mammoth strength”. “There is a distinction between development work and electoral politics. I prefer to move forward through cooperation rather than confrontation. I will not rake up the history of your governments,” the CM told the opposition.
On the demand for a farm loan waiver, Shivakumar recalled that loan waivers had been announced by successive governments. “Siddaramaiah has waived loans in the past. Kumaraswamy also waived loans during the government he supported. Had we—with a strength of 80 MLAs—not extended our support, would Kumaraswamy, who had the backing of only 38 MLAs, have been able to waive the loans” the CM asked.
Shivakumar also said government welfare schemes were not linked to electoral support. “Not everyone for whom we have worked votes for us. While 1.36 crore people voted for us, we are providing free electricity to 1.60 crore households and 10 kg of rice to 4.40 crore people. We have extended the Gruha Lakshmi scheme to 1.21 crore women. Do they all vote for us?” he asked. He cited the Congress’s performance in Mangaluru and Udupi to argue that welfare schemes were being implemented irrespective of voting patterns. “Thus, there is a distinction between voting and development work,” he said.
Power demand, milk prices
Shivakumar said the State’s electricity demand was rising by around 10% annually. “Energy Minister K J George is now facing the difficult situation of having to purchase power at Rs 22 per unit. Tamil Nadu and Kerala are purchasing power at Rs 22 and Rs 24 per unit, respectively,” he said.
Defending the approach to drought, Shivakumar said he had earlier advised farmers to wait before sowing in view of the drought forecast.
