Southern States - Karnataka   

Shivakumar wants debate on suicides

By Our Special Correspondent

GULBARGA Sept. 23. The Urban Development Minister, D.K. Shivakumar, today launched a broadside against the former Prime Minister and Janata Dal (S) President, H.D. Deve Gowda. The Minister told presspersons that he would not be cowed down by what he called threats and blackmail by Mr. Gowda.

He said the Congress was not interested in exploiting the controversy over Mr. Gowda's alleged statement about the eating habits of Vokkaligas and Lingayats. The party's performance was enough to gain the confidence of the people. "We do not need Mr. Gowda or his statement about eating habits of Veerashaivas and Vokkaligas to mobilise support," he said.

He challenged Mr. Gowda to a debate on the issue of the farmers' suicide with journalists as jury. "We are armed with facts and figures of the commissions and omissions of the Janata Dal Government during whose tenure also farmers committed suicide," he said.

Complaints on SAS: The Minister said the Government had constituted district-level committees headed by the deputy commissioners to look into complaints about the fixing of market rates of properties for computing the property tax under the Self-Assessment Scheme (SAS).

He said the State Government had received several representations from people about the discrepancies in the SAS and, although it was one of the best systems, the Government had an open mind on the issue.

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