Sedam denies Minister's charge against Centre

By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE, JULY 15. The BJP State unit President, Mr. Basavaraj Patil Sedam, has expressed surprise at the statement of the Agriculture Minister, Mr. T. B. Jayachandra, that most Central agriculture-specific programmes were not suitable to the States.

Pointing out that the Centre consulted the States while formulating such programmes, Mr. Sedam said the statement did not hold water. He dismissed a suggestion by Mr. Jayachandra that the funds allotted by the Centre for specific projects should not be withdrawn but left to the discretion of the State Government as meaningless as it would give room for irregularities.

Stranger still was the statement of the Minister of State for Food, Mr. D. B. Inamdar, that since the Centre had surplus stocks of foodgrains, it could supply them free to the State.

The Centre had sent a circular to States offering to double the development grants if they were taken in the form of foodgrains. This meant the State would get free foodgrains, and Mr. Inamdar could opt for this, Mr. Sedam added.

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Section  : Southern States
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