Congress stages walkout in K'taka Assembly

Bangalore, Feb 9 (UNI) The entire opposition, led by former Deputy Chief Minister and Congress leader Siddaramaiah, staged a walkout in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly in protest against the State Government's ''total failure'' in tackling the severe drought situation in the State.

Replying to a notice for discussion on the drought situation by Leader of the Opposition N Dharam Singh, Revenue Minister Jagdish Shettar said the State Government had taken all necessary steps to carry out drought relief works effectively in all the 128 drought-hit taluks.

Stating that the State faced a peculiar situation of floods in some taluks and drought in others this year, he said the Government had spent more than Rs 230 crore for employment generation and Rs 23 crore for shifting of villages from flood-prone areas. The Minister alleged that the Centre had not sent the required food grains to the State, resulting in the State not being able to take up more work under the Food-for-Work programme.

Mr Shettar said the Government would also set up coordination committees of all departments at the district level for effective monitoring of relief works.

Mr Siddaramaiah pointed out that the Minister's reply did not focus on concrete plans such as setting up of fodder banks, goshalas, providing drinking water facility and electricity supply to the drought-hit areas.

Dissatisfied with the Minister's reply, the entire Opposition, led by Mr Siddaramaiah, staged a walkout. Mr Sriram Reddy (CPI-M) and Mr Jayapraskash Hegde (Ind) also joined the walkout.

Meanwhile, Mr Vatal Nagaraj of the Kannada Chaluvali Vatal Paksha boycotted House proceedings for the second day today, demanding that the Assembly pass a resolution rejecting the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal.

Raising the issue, Mr Nagaraj said the Government should take a bold step in condemning the ''unfair'' order and pass an unanimous resolution.

Karnataka Water Resourses Minister K Eshwarappa said the Government would initiate all efforts to protect the interests of the State and he would quit from the Ministry if he failed to do that.

UNI