Southern States - Karnataka   

Drought: Centre urged to assist State

By Our Special Correspondent

Bangalore Sept. 9. The Union Government should speedily respond to Karnataka's request for adequate financial assistance and foodgrains to tackle the widespread drought in the State, R.L. Jalappa, MP and former Union minister, has said.

The State was facing unprecedented dry conditions following the failure of the Southwest Monsoon, causing severe hardship to farmers, he told presspersons here. According to him, the Union Government's failure to promptly respond to the State's request for funds and foodgrains had worsened the situation and handicapped the implementation of relief measures.

He said the depletion of water in the hydel reservoirs of the State had brought about a crisis on the power front, as the State was largely dependent on hydel power. He made a fervent appeal to farmers to switch over to dry and semi-dry crops which required less water for cultivation.

Strongly deploring bandhs and violent protests over the release of Cauvery waters to Tamil Nadu, he said such activities would prove counter-productive.

He appealed to the farmers of Mandya and Mysore districts to halt their current agitation, as violent protests would not solve their problems. They should not take the law into their own hands for expressing their anger and anguish.

He counselled the people to have patience on the issue of freeing the former minister, H. Nagappa from the clutches of Veerappan, as the Government was making all endeavours to end the impasse.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Southern States

News: Front Page | National | Southern States | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

• Expert summoned to join STF?
• JD(U), JD(S) to join protesters
• Drought: Centre urged to assist State
• Efforts on to get Chairman of KPCC OBC Cell removed
• CRA decision satisfactory: Shettar
• Regional PU education boards planned
• Pro-Kannada forum against water release
• Veerappan informers warned of stern action
• Malaysian offer on highway accepted

Copyright © 2002, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu