UPA bent upon neglecting Karnataka: HDK

Hubli, Sep 20: Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy today alleged that successive governments at the Centre had continuously neglected the interests of Karnataka and were biased against it when compared to neighbouring Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. Talking to newspersons here after making an aerial survey of the flood-hit areas of Dharwad and Gadag districts, he said the State was neglected even when there were 28 Members of Parliament from a single party from the State.

''For the past 60 years, the Union Government has not been bothered about the development of Karnataka, when compared to Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. The only remedy left for the people of the State was to support regional parties, like it had happened in the neighbouring States, to ensure necessary help from the Centre,'' he said.

Coalition politics had emerged as the real political strength now and regional parties have to emerge stronger for the States to get necessary assistance from the coalition Governments that rule at the Centre, he said.

To a question, the Chief Minister said the State had received only Rs 66 crore from the UPA Government's 'Vidharba package' amounting to Rs 1,600 crore. Out of the 17 proposals for irrigation projects submitted to the Centre, not a single proposal had been cleared. ''It had not even bothered to reply to the State Government regarding these proposals'', he alleged.

UNI