BANGALORE: Accusing the State Government for being ‘insensitive and irresponsible’ towards the people reeling under drought, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly Siddaramaiah urged Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda to immediately convene the legislature session to discuss the precarious situation. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Siddaramaiah said, except for the government announcing that 84 taluks were facing drought, and no concrete steps have been taken to mitigate the problems such as drinking water and fodder in those taluks. “So much so, no money has been released because no review meetings have taken place to assess the quantum of money needed to take up drought relief measures. It looks like Sadananda Gowda who also holds the revenue portfolio does not have time,” he quipped.Siddaramaiah said he has toured the entire state and the problem of drought was very severe as the groundwater table has gone down and there is no alternate arrangements to provide drinking water and fodder. “In the early 80s, I remember of going to Punjab to get fodder in special trains. But the BJP government is just insensitive. I strongly condemn this callousness from the party,” he added.Reiterating that the BJP government has done practically nothing to increase the power generation, Siddaramaiah said, “Let the chief minister come out with the white paper on the contribution of all governments in power front. The truth about the irresponsibility of the present dispensation will come out. I will expose the government on the floor of the Assembly about its hollowness ” According to Siddaramaiah, there is no point in blaming the Centre for shortage of coal supply as the State Government was supposed to have made arrangements to keep a good stock of coal. “The state is suffering on account of the BJP’s absence of long range vision, genuine concern and too much of intra-party politicking,” he added. He also demanded the waiver of loans to farmers in drought affected areas.
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