Date:01/07/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/01/stories/2008070154470600.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Yeddyurappa slammed for going back on promise

Special Correspondent

BANGALORE: Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa has drawn flak from farmers’ organisations for reportedly expressing his inability to implement his party’s major poll promise of providing free power supply to irrigation pumpsets.

Even before the elections were announced, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had promised to provide free power to all farmers if it was voted to power.

It had even assured farmers of implementing such a promise within 24 hours of coming to power. However, the Chief Minister, while participating in a phone-in programme of the Bangalore Doordarshan Kendra on Sunday, had reportedly said that it was not possible to supply free power to all farmers and that free power could be supplied to only some farmers with some conditions.

Taking exception to the Chief Minister going back on his party’s poll promise, the Karnataka Prantha Raitha Sangha (KPRS) has termed this as “a worst betrayal of farmers” by Mr. Yeddyurappa.

KPRS general secretary G.C. Bayya Reddy said: “Mr. Yeddyurappa who had declared before the elections that he will never go back on his words, has now shown the real colours of his party by refusing to implement his promise of free power.”

Mr. Reddy alleged that within one month of coming to power, the Yeddyurappa Government had involved in police firing and caning of farmers. He urged the Chief Minister to immediately implement the promise of free power to farmers without any conditions.