People disillusioned with Cong(I) rule, say JD(U) leaders

By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE, OCT. 4. The Janata Dal (U) State unit has planned protest demonstrations and rallies throughout the State from October 11 to draw the attention of the people towards the poor performance of the Congress(I) Government which would be completing one year on October 10.

Mr. C.Byre Gowda, JD(U) State unit President, and Mr. P.G.R.Sindhia, leader of the JD(U) group in the Legislative Assembly, told presspersons here today that people, who had high expectations from the Krishna Government, were now disillusioned with it. The problems faced by the common man had increased compared with the situation under the Janata Dal rule between 1994 and 1999.

The members of the party in the legislature, former legislators, presidents and vice-presidents of district units and the office- bearers of the State unit met here today to finalise the programme for the protest week. Several resolutions were passed at the meeting. The meeting assumed importance in the wake of the victory of the party's candidate, Mr. Bharamagouda Alagouda Patil (alias Raju Kagge) in Kagwad. While Mr. Byre Gowda presided over the meeting, senior party leaders, Mr. Sindhia, Mr. M.P.Prakash, Mr. B.Somashekar, Mr. Shivananda Koujalgi, Mr. S.S.Patil, Mr. Basavaraja Rayareddi and Mr. Basavaraja Horatti, were present.

Mr. Byre Gowda and Mr. Sindhia said the victory in the Kagwad election indicated that the party's popularity was on the rise. Although the Janata Dal had done well during its rule, the achievements of the Patel Government were not highlighted in the last Assembly elections owing to the alliance with the BJP, which was one of the reasons for the party's poor performance.

Mr. Byre Gowda said the protest week was directed against the anti-people policies of both the Union and the State governments. The fall in prices of agricultural prices was largely because of the import policy followed by the Centre. The import of sugar, edible oils and other agricultural commodities, including processed food, had led to crash in the prices of agricultural produce. Maize was sold in the local market much below the floor price fixed by the Government and coconut was sold in certain places at Re. one per nut. In Belgaum region, sugarcane growers torched the crops because of low price offered by sugar factories.

Mr. Sindhia demanded that the Government withdraw the increase in bus fare and wait until the Centre finalised the quantum of increase in the diesel prices. "Where was the need for the Government to rush through the increase in bus fare?

The increase does not correspond with the rise in diesel price. Even last year, the Government increased the bus fare by 22 per cent. The Opposition had agreed with this in the interest of the Government bus corporations and the augmentation of the fleet of the buses."

The KSRTC, Mr. Sindhia said, was in bad state, thanks "to the misrule and corruption of the Transport Minister, Mr. C.R.Sageer Ahmed. Apparently, the minister has misled the Chief Minister, Mr. S.M.Krishna, and the Cabinet into going in for 15 per cent increase in bus fare." While the additional cost to the KSRTC had been estimated at Rs. 45 crores, the fare increase would fetch Rs. 85 crores.

He said the Janata Dal (United) would request the Union Civil Aviation Minister and party's national President, Mr. Sharad Yadav, to exert pressure on the Prime Minister, Mr. A.B.Vajpayee, to reduce the quantum of increase in the diesel and kerosene prices as they affected the poor people.

Mr. Byre Gowda said the JD(U) would organise a national-level seminar, a cultural programme and a felicitation function on October 22 to mark the birthday of the former Chief Minister, Mr. J.H.Patel. It would be an apolitical programme and the invitees would include Mr. Krishna, Mr. Farooq Abdulla, Mr. Naveen Patnaik, Mr. V.P.Singh, Mr. H.D.Deve Gowda and Mr. Ramakrishna Hegde. The party had tentatively decided to hold a rally in the City on October 23.

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