Union Minister Kumaraswamy Warns K'taka Govt Against Fight With Centre, Says Trust PM Modi

(MENAFN- IANS) Bengaluru/New Delhi, Sep 30 (IANS) Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel, H.D. Kumaraswamy, on Tuesday, urged the Congress-led government in Karnataka not to engage in frequent fights with the Central government, saying such confrontations are unproductive.

Speaking at a press conference at his residence in New Delhi, Kumaraswamy said, "Trust Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Submit your request properly, and the Centre will respond. Stop the harsh rhetoric."

He revealed that not a single Minister or official has met with Union Ministers so far regarding flood havoc in north Karnataka.

"By now, relief measures should have already been implemented. Enough of just holding video conferences and getting angry. Will anger solve problems? First, divide Ministers into teams and send them. Where has all their strength and courage gone? Earlier they did 'padayatras' (foot marches), but now, when it comes to state development, they've failed to engage constructively with the Centre," he added.

The Union Minister said, "It's been over a year since the Narendra Modi government began its third term, and yet, no state Minister has met me. Just criticising won't help. Come to Delhi, talk to the Centre, present the ground reality properly. The Centre will respond."

Kumaraswamy criticised the state government for focusing on irrelevant issues like caste census, which he said only leads to new problems.

"This government has done nothing beneficial for the people. Stop blindly praising the Kantharaj Commission. You gave guarantees -- are those guarantees helping Kalyana Karnataka now?" he asked.

He cited the poor condition of Bengaluru city.

"The Minister-in-charge of Bengaluru is very busy, so the Chief Minister had to tour the city without him. The Chief Minister went to inspect a repaired pothole, but the tar layer laid behind him was already peeling off," he said.

Kumaraswamy criticised the state government's financial management, saying, "I'm not saying guarantees have emptied the Treasury, but the public didn't ask for them either. Now, in the name of Dussehra, the government has increased bus ticket prices. Even RTC is now competing with private buses in hiking fares."

"Sitting in air-conditioned rooms in Bengaluru and wasting time is not the solution. Stop being lazy and immediately help the flood-affected people," the Union Minister said, expressing strong dissatisfaction with the state government.

Kumaraswamy criticised the state government, saying it is in a "Kumbhakarna-like slumber" while people in Kalyana Karnataka are suffering due to severe flooding.

He hit out at the state government, asking, "Only now have the Chief Minister and his 36 Cabinet Ministers woken up. What were all these Ministers doing until now?"

He said that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah only conducted an aerial survey of the flood-hit districts after media and opposition parties started criticising the state government.

"Floods are a recurring problem every year. For the last three months, this government has been in deep sleep," he added.

Kumaraswamy expressed disappointment over the Chief Minister's responses to Opposition's demands for relief.

"How will criticising the Opposition solve the issues of flood victims? His statements are unworthy of the office he holds. There are 36 Ministers - where have they all gone?" he asked.

Hitting out at the Congress government's inaction, Kumaraswamy demanded that two to three Ministers be sent to each district, special teams be formed, and that Ministers stay in the affected districts for at least three days to truly understand and respond to people's suffering.

"If I didn't have health issues, I would have camped in the flood-affected regions for at least a week," he said.

"I was ready to visit two days ago, but officials advised against it due to bad weather. After the floods, only a few Ministers visited affected areas, and that too, just for show. Is this how things should be handled?" he asked.

Kumaraswamy accused the state government of failing farmers in Karnataka.

"They're not getting timely loans. When I was Chief Minister, I ensured 35 per cent of loans were disbursed. What is this government doing? They made big promises -- now tell us, how much have you actually given? The loan disbursal has dropped to just 17 per cent. Is this their concern for farmers?" he asked.

"Karnataka has received heavy rainfall this year, with reservoirs filling beyond expectations. While this initially brought joy to farmers, excessive rains in several districts have now turned into floods. During the Gowri-Ganesha festival itself, floods occurred in Kalyana Karnataka and Belagavi regions.

Even now, six districts in Kalyana Karnataka are severely flood-hit.

"I've spoken to the District Collectors of these districts. In each district, more than 1 lakh hectares of crops have been damaged. Homes are flooded, people are displaced, and even cattle are suffering. As many as 12 goshalas (cow shelters) are completely submerged, and animals have died," Kumaraswamy said.

"Every day, 4.5 lakh cusecs of water is flowing in from Maharashtra. On top of that, heavy rains in the Bhima and Krishna river basins in Kalyana Karnataka are adding to the flood levels. The simultaneous inflow of such huge volumes of water has caused widespread destruction," he added.

The Union Minister concluded by saying that there has been major devastation in flood-hit districts.

"Entire villages are underwater. People have been suffering for days. This problem has persisted for the past 10 years."

"Yet this time, even after such unprecedented floods, not a single Minister has visited the victims. In Chikkamagaluru too, there has been heavy rain, massive crop damage, and destruction of homes. Even then, the state government has not stepped in to help the people," Kumaraswamy said.

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