Karnataka - Mysore   

Yeddyurappa’s plan to attend AKKA conference criticised

MYSORE: The former Minister H. Vishwanath has criticised Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa for his decision to go to the U.S. to attend the Association of Kannada Kootas of America (AKKA) conference at a time when the State is facing a drought.

Addressing a press conference here on Sunday, Mr. Vishwanath said that the State Government had not paid any attention to the drought situation in the State. “Discussions have not been held with officials nor have they been issued any directions to tackle the situation”, Mr. Vishwanath said.

He said that to top it off, Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa and a host of Ministers including Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Shobha Karandlaje were leaving the State from August 22 to September 5 to participate in the AKKA conference in the U.S.

“What will happen to the administration of the State in their absence. Particularly, when large parts of the State are reeling under either drought or floods,” Mr. Vishwanath said.

He said the State Government was not implementing the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) of the Union Government properly.

Mr. Vishwanath also criticised the Government for the tardy pace at which it was implementing projects taken up under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) scheme.

“Though a total of 25 projects with a total cost of Rs. 1,834 crore had been proposed for the city under JNNURM, only a paltry six projects have been cleared and a measly Rs. 131 crore had been sanctioned,” he said.

Mr. Vishwanath also criticised the Government for failing to come to the aid of tobacco farmers in the State, who he said were being misled by middlemen.

“Though the tobacco grown in H.D. Kote, Periyapatna, K.R. Nagar and Hunsur taluks is some of the best quality in the country, the growers are receiving only Rs. 70 a kg as against the international price, which is hovering at around Rs. 140 a kg. The Government is doing little to protect the farmers from middlemen,” he said.

He asked what the Government was doing with the Rs. 500 crore revolving fund Mr. Yeddyurappa had announced at the time of presenting the budget for market intervention to help bail out farmers in the event of a price collapse.

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