Karnataka   

‘Promise to farmers will be kept’

DAVANGERE: Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa is surprised that the Planning Commission has objected to the Government’s decision to give farmers free power supply.

He said the Government was not getting free electricity from Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Ltd. (KPTCL). It was buying power from KPTCL and a portion of it would be distributed to farmers.

Speaking to presspersons here on Friday, he said the Planning Commission could not prevent a government from initiating a pro-people scheme.

When asked why the Government was insisting on metering irrigation pumpsets when it had decided to give free power to farmers, the Chief Minister said he wanted to ensure that the benefit was not misused. There were 17 lakh irrigation punpsets and over 50 lakh farmers in the State. He said the Government would stick to its promise come what may.

When his attention was drawn to statements by Opposition party leaders that he had committed a political blunder by removing a party Minister to accommodate someone who had joined the BJP recently, Mr. Yeddyurappa said leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party were not self-centred.

“The BJP wants to offer effective governance for which has one to make certain changes,” he said.

Asked whether “Operation Kamala” would come to an end now, he said he did not approve of such terms. He said the BJP had invited certain MLAs, who agreed with the party’s principles and ideals, to join it.

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

Stories in this Section

Where self-appointed groups crack down on ‘moral code violations’
‘Promise to farmers will be kept’
Onion crop loss upsets farmers
‘Coordination needed’
Anaemia detection camp
Programme

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu