Bengaluru: Former Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai said on Saturday, January 6, that the government must protect the interests of farmers who have voted for the Congress and brought them to power in the state.
“The Rs 105 crore drought relief released by the state government is not sufficient. No one knows how many farmers will benefit because of these funds. The severity of the natural calamity was huge, and the amount released by the state government is much less,” Bommai said.
He said that his political entity exists only because he has been protecting the interests of farmers and has always ensured their rights. “I have always raised their voice,” he said.
Bommai’s remarks came in the wake of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s statement that the BJP leaders were making charges against the state government for their political survival.
Bommai said that it is common practice to demand relief amounts as per the NDRF guidelines from the Center, but it is the duty of the state government to rescue the farming community, which is in distress, by releasing the full amount to farmers.
“I urge Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to immediately release the amount of relief. Why isn’t the government releasing the amount, as it claims that Karnataka has a stable financial position? The state government has demanded Rs 18,000 crore from the Centre, but they have released just Rs 105 crore, which is not even one percent,” Bommai said.
He said that the government must exhibit its commitment through actions and not words.
“The previous BJP government had released Rs 2,031 crore as per the NDRF norms only within two months. So, the BJP has every right to question the incumbent government,” he said.
