Kharge wants task forces to tackle drought-like situation

Bangalore, July 18 (UNI) Leader of Opposition in Karnataka Legislative Assembly Mallikarjun Kharge today urged the government to set up task forces at different levels to take up relief works for tackling the 'drought-like situation on a war footing.' Initiating a debate on 2008-09 Budget presented by Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa in the Assembly, he said the government should set up the task forces at Cabinet and district levels for starting works like providing drinking water to villages, setting up fodder banks and food-for-work schemes in rain-scarce taluks besides providing fertilisers and seeds when the monsoon became normal.

The sowing operation was still not taken up in more 24 lakh hectare of land of the total of 74 lakh hectare due to lack of rains, he said adding the government should immediately release the funds to meet the natural calamities.

Opposing the Budget totally, he said it was 'anti-people,' 'anti-farmers' and not a development-oriented one and core sectors like irrigation, power, agriculture, education, rural, industries and drinking water have been neglected.

It is a 'please all' Budget and impracticable and the reality of it would be known when it comes to the implementation stage.

''There are no new schemes in the Budget except the one providing free power to farmers. The rest all are repeated from the earlier Budgets presented by Mr Yeddyurappa,'' he said.

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