Congress government is releasing water to Telangana for political reasons, says BYV

The Congress government in Karnataka is releasing around 2.5 tmcft of Krishna river water to Telangana for political reasons, BJP State president B.Y. Vijayendra alleged in Vijayapura on Friday.

“Congress is in power in both States. That is why the D.K. Shivakumar government is sacrificing the interests of Karnataka farmers to help farmers in Telangana,” Mr. Vijayendra told reporters.

The State government should clarify whether it is following any rule, judgment or policy in releasing Krishna waters. Otherwise, it will send a signal that it is being done to maintain personal and political relations between leaders, he said.

He claimed that the Maharashtra government had waived farm loans of up to ₹1 lakh per farmer, apart from releasing drought-related crop-loss compensation in that State. He demanded that the Karnataka government adopt the Maharashtra model and release compensation to farmers who suffered crop losses due to drought. “The compensation being released now by Mr. Shivakumar’s government is meagre and symbolic. It will help no one,” he said.

He also demanded that Mr. Shivakumar waive all farm loans up to ₹2 lakh without waiting for financial assistance from the Union government. “In Maharashtra, they are doing it by themselves,” he said.

Mr. Vijayendra demanded that a special package be announced for farmers and incentives be given for dairy farming. “Such emergency measures should be taken to respond to the plight of farmers and fill them with self-confidence,” he said.

Mr. Shivakumar’s government has not come to the aid of farmers reeling under severe drought. Instead, it is entrenched in the real-estate business by creating townships, he alleged. “The State government is bankrupt and facing a financial emergency. The financial condition of the State has deteriorated,” he said. He alleged that the creation of non-elected bodies such as the Greater Bengaluru Authority, the Bidadi Township Project and ring roads in taluk-level towns was aimed at promoting real-estate business for politicians.

“I would like to ask a question to Mr. Shivakumar. What have you achieved in the 100 days of governance? You have neglected the plight of the breadwinners. Your claims of keeping promises to the people are false. You are just advertising and promoting yourself. There is not a single new scheme that you have implemented. You have not released any funds for the development of Assembly constituencies. There are over 2.5 lakh vacancies in various departments, but you are not filling them. Instead of interacting with farmers, he is touring drought-hit districts in helicopters. All this has led to unrest in society. Farmers, housewives and young people are coming to the streets as they are desperate,” he said.

Everyone, from poor farmers and farm labourers to homemakers and traders, is suffering due to the anti-farmer policies of the State government, he said. “We have been demanding in the special legislature session that compensation of ₹50,000 per hectare be given to drought-affected farmers, agricultural loans up to ₹5 lakh be waived, and incentives be provided for dairy farming. But none of these demands were accepted,” he said.

He alleged that the State government had allowed Congress workers to intimidate BJP workers by filing FIRs against them for submitting third-party objections under Form 7 against ineligible voters during the ECI’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR). “However, I want to declare that BJP workers cannot be intimidated in any way,” he said.