Cong charges K'taka Govt with being lax

Mysore, Oct 21: Former Ministers and senior Congress leaders G Parameswara and B K Chandrasekhar charged the Karnataka Government with not taking up flood and drought relief works, despite the Centre releasing sufficient funds.

Addressing mediapersons here yesterday, Mr Parameswara said the Union Government had sanctioned Rs 259 crore under the Natural Calamity Relief Fund. However, the State Government had not taken up any work in about 130 of the 175 taluks reeling under drought conditions. Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy just visiting villages and staying there overnight would serve no purpose, he ridiculed.

He alleged that the Government was creating confusion among the people by announcing many programmes, which had neither found a mention in the budget nor funds earmarked for it.

Referring to the recent violence in Dakshina Kannada district, he said the JD(S)-led coalition Government had been supporting its partner BJP's actions in various parts of the State, be it Chikmagalur or Mangalore incidents. The Congress would not tolerate this attitude of the Government and proposed to stage agitation all over the State shortly, he added.

Mr Parameswara demanded a white paper on the Rs 68,000 crore investments pumped into the State as claimed by the Government and claimed that most of the investors were shying away from investing in the State due to political instability.

On the byelection to Chamundeswari Assembly constituency, he said the party had taken seriously the bypoll, which would be seen as a referendum on the State Government. He was confident that former Deputy Chief Minister Siddaramaiah would win with a huge margin.

''The stunts of the JD(S) by misusing official machinery will not affect our prospects as the voters have confidence in Mr Siddaramaiah and the Congress,'' he added.

Mr Chandrasekhar announced that an apolitical anti-communalism jatha would be taken out from Srirangapatana to Basavakalyana in the second week of November.

UNI