Date:12/05/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/05/12/stories/2008051252270300.htm

Karnataka

Congress responsible for State’s growth in IT, BT: Kharge

Correspondent

‘JD(S)-BJP coalition had pushed the State back by 50 years’

CHIKMAGALUR: The president of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee, M. Mallikarjun Kharge, has said that the coalition government of the Janata Dal (Secular) and the Bharatiya Janata Party had pushed the State back by 50 years in terms of development.

Addressing a Congress rally at Kadur near here on Saturday, Mr. Kharge alleged that the aim of the previous government was to make money.

He said that the schemes introduced by the government were money-oriented.

Achievement

Describing BJP leader B.S. Yediyurappa as the most corrupt Finance Minister in the history of the State, he said that the important achievement of Mr. Yediyurappa was distributing substandard bicycles to schoolchildren.

Stating that the Congress government was responsible for bringing information technology and biotechnology companies to the State and earning revenue of Rs. 33,000 crore, he said that this also helped to generate employment.

Giving details of the achievements of the Congress government, he said that the employment guarantee scheme had prevented migration of people to urban areas.

‘Anti-farmer’

He accused the Janata Dal (Secular) of adopting “anti-farmer” policies by reducing the budget allocation for irrigation and power.

R.K. Dhawan, general secretary of the All India Congress Committee, was present.