The Hindu : Karnataka News : Don’t blame Centre for fertilizer shortage in State, says Kharge

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jun 20, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Karnataka

Karnataka

Don’t blame Centre for fertilizer shortage in State, says Kharge

Staff Correspondent

‘State Government should have been alert to the problem’

‘Government speaking in two voices with regard to fertilizer shortage’
Opposition will pressure the Government to ensure adequate fertilizer supply: Kharge

Word of solace: Congress leader M. Mallikarjun Kharge consoling the wife of Ajjappa who committed suicide, in Davangere on Thursday.

DAVANGERE: Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly M. Mallikarjun Kharge has asked the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) Government to “behave responsibly” and not to politicise the issue of fertilizer shortage. “Do not pass the buck to the Union Government; behave more responsibly,” he said.

Mr. Kharge was addressing farmers who had organised a dharna here on Thursday, protesting against the death of Ajjappa, a farmer. Ajjappa consumed poison reportedly because he was unable to get fertilizers. The farmers sat on a dharna with the body of the farmer.

Mr. Kharge said that Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa and Agriculture Minister S.A. Ravindranath had been making contradictory statements with regard to the shortage of fertilizers. “While Mr. Yeddyurappa had stated that there was a shortage of fertilizers in the State, Mr. Ravindranath had said that the State had sufficient fertilizers, which had not been properly distributed.”

The BJP Government should have been alert to the fertilizer shortage much before the farmers’ agitation began. “Whenever the fertilizer issue is raised, the Chief Minister conveniently puts the blame on the Centre or on the period of President’s Rule. Is this a way of dealing with a sensitive issue like fertilizer scarcity,” he asked.

Mr. Kharge said he did not like to politicise the incidents of a farmer’s death in the Haveri police firing and the suicide by a farmer in Davangere. He assured the farmers that the Opposition would prevail upon the Government to provide sufficient fertilizers to farmers. Mr. Kharge said that the neglect of the farmers’ problems by the Chief Minister, who had taken oath in their name, amounted to hypocrisy. On behalf of the Davangere District Congress Committee, Mr. Kharge donated Rs. 1 lakh to the wife of the farmer who committed suicide.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Karnataka

News Update

Stories in this Section