Karnataka   

‘Free power to farmers is a false assurance’

— Photo: Jaideep Shenoy

SOLIDARITY: Former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda and Janata Dal (S) candidate from Belthangady K. Gangadhar Gowda at an election rally in Kokkada village of Puttur taluk on Saturday.

KOKKADA (PUTTUR TALUK): Former Prime Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) leader H.D. Deve Gowda has termed the assurance given by the Bharatiya Janata Party of giving free power to farmers as impractical. Stating that this was nothing but falsehood being spread by the BJP to garner votes, Mr. Gowda said the State was facing a shortage of around 4,000 MW of power and it was buying power at Rs. 7.60 a unit from outside.

Interacting with presspersons on the sidelines of a party campaign here on Saturday, Mr. Gowda said that the BJP did not assure free power to farmers in Gujarat, nor in Himachal Pradesh when those States went to polls, recently. One Congress Government which promised free power to farmers was ousted in Punjab, and another Congress Government in Andhra Pradesh was not in a position to implement a similar assurance, he said. Recalling a commitment made by him to farmers when he was the Prime Minister, Mr. Gowda said, according to a national policy mooted by him then, the aim should be to provide quality power to farmers at a nominal rate. “It is not possible for governments to provide free power. If the Prime Minister gives any such assurance, then I will retire from active politics and withdraw the party candidates from these elections,” he said.

To a query on the outcome of Assembly polls, Mr. Gowda said he would appeal to the electorate to give his party a clear mandate. “The Janata Dal (S) will implement its manifesto within one year of coming to power in such an event,” he said and added that his party was committed to abolishing Common Entrance Test as well as implementing internal reservation for smaller communities.

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