Centre to blame, alleges Veerabhadrappa

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE, SEPT. 9. The KPCC has taken serious objection to the BJP's warning that the people may revolt against the State Government in protest against its ``failure'' in taking up relief measures in drought-affected districts.

In a press release here on Saturday, the KPCC President, Mr. Allum Veerabhadrappa, said the State was facing an unprecedented drought, and it was necessary that the Union and the State governments, and political and social organisations work for giving maximum relief to the affected people.

Mr. Veerabhadrappa said the Congress Government in the State had started relief measures on a war footing and had released Rs. 71.2 crores for development works, providing foodgrains for people and fodder for cattle. It was making sincere efforts to lessen the misery of the people.

On the contrary, he said the Centre had only released the State's share of Rs. 58.72 crores of the Calamity Relief Fund under the Eleventh Finance Commission's recommendations and one lakh tonne of foodgrains to the State Government. That apart, the NDA Government at the Centre, headed by the BJP, had done little to mitigate the sufferings of the people. The Centre had also failed in fixing the amount for drought relief for each State, he charged.

He condemned the statements of the President of the BJP State unit, Mr. Basavaraj Patil Sedam, the Opposition Leader in the Legislative Assembly, Mr. Jagadish Shettar, and other BJP leaders such as Mr. B.S.Yediyurappa, Mr. K.S.Eshwarappa and Mr. Visweshvara Hegde Kageri against the State Government as wild allegations.

Mr. Veerabhadrappa said they were making false statements, which would not be able to convince the people to revolt against the Government. The announcement that the BJP, which was ignominiously rejected by the people in the last Assembly elections, would organise a protest rally and lay a siege to the Vidhana Soudha on September 13 reflected their desperation.

Mr. Veerabhadrappa demanded that the BJP pressure the Centre to release special grants to the State instead of politicising the situation. Otherwise, the farmers' revolt would turn against the Centre, he warned.

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Section  : Southern States
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