The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Kharge trains guns on Yeddyurappa In the legislature

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Tuesday, Jun 24, 2008
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Kharge trains guns on Yeddyurappa In the legislature

Special Correspondent

Finds fault with handling of fertilizer shortage

Speaker disallows attempt to move adjournment motion
Permits discussion of subject under another rule

Bangalore: Leader of the Opposition M. Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday said Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa had no moral right to continue in office after what he termed his dismal handling of the fertilizer shortage and the death of a farmer in police firing, and demanded an apology from him.

Initiating a debate in the Legislative Assembly on the issue on which he moved an adjournment motion earlier, he demanded that a joint House committee be constituted to inquire into suicide by farmers since Mr. Yeddyurappa assumed office. He said that 11 farmers had committed suicide in the State in the past 23 days for various reasons, including shortage of seeds and fertilizers.

Motion disallowed

Speaker Jagadish Shettar disallowed the adjournment motion and allowed discussion under another rule.

Welcoming the judicial inquiry ordered into the police firing at Haveri, Mr. Kharge said that the terms of reference should be enlarged to cover questions such as who ordered the firing, whether fertilizers were in short supply and whether there was any failure on the part of the government or officials in handling the situation, which led to the firing. Though Mr. Kharge did not directly demand the resignation of Mr. Yeddyurappa, he asked him to consider whether he had any moral right to continue in power after the police firing on farmers, in whose name he took the oath of office.

On the fertilizer shortage and subsidy arrears to be paid to fertilizer companies as mentioned by Mr. Yeddyurappa, Mr. Kharge said Union Fertilizer Secretary J.S. Sharma, in his letter to Chief Secretary Sudhakar Rao, had said that the Centre was ready to come to the rescue of farmers in the State.

According to the letter, subsidy arrears to fertilizer companies amounted to Rs. 1,070 crore and not Rs. 10,000 as stated by Mr. Yeddyurappa. Even the information that the Centre owed Rs. 400 crore to Mangalore Chemicals and Fertilizers Ltd., based on which Mr. Yeddyurappa had criticised the Centre, was not right and its Managing Director had apologised for the wrong information, he said.

Recalling the manhandling of a BJP worker in Shikaripur for disclosing that fertilizer was in short supply in the taluk, Mr. Kharge charged the Government with allowing party workers to take the law into their own hands and not punishing them for it.

‘Avoid same mistake’

T.B. Jayachandra (Congress) urged the Government to take measures to supply fertilizers and other inputs to farmers in July and August and avoid repeating the mistakes. Referring to the payment of Rs. 3 lakh to the family of Siddalingappa Choori, who died in the police firing, he asked him whether this could be treated as a precedent. V. Srinivas Prasad (Congress) also spoke.

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