Drought relief work needs to pick up pace
Drought has hit the state again. About 100 taluks are reeling under drought as per government report. Drought situation is particularly worse in 72 taluks. Many more number of taluks are also affected by the drought. People’s lives are getting miserable. Drinking water has become scarce. Hundreds of villages are being supplied with water in tankers.
On one hand, we have terrible situation in the state but then this isn’t enough to prompt our MLAs seek aid from the government to ease people’s lives. They are busy partying around in resorts and fighting among themselves silly. Ruling and opposition parties are engaged in ‘resort’ politics day in and day out. They do not have any semblance of responsibility or humanitarian concern towards the people who voted for them. Two MLAs coming from the Ballari district of the mining-fame have got down to fist fights leaving one of them badly injured.
Even the opposition party BJP does not remember that it needs to work to train the focus of the government on drought related problems, human emergencies that have to be attended to by the government. The party has barely gone to people. All its efforts are towards somehow clinching power by toppling the current coalition government.
Hence people are disappointed with the ruling and the opposition party. Amidst all this the coalition government has taken some imperative steps to mitigate the problems caused by drought. CM has held a meeting with regional commissioners, deputy commissioners and ZP CEOs.
Four cabinet sub committees have been formed to every revenue department with a senior minister on board. A senior officer of the grade of chief secretary is the coordinator. This committee would study the drought stricken areas and present a report on the findings. The relief work has been affected by the backdoor efforts of BJP to destabilize the government.
The report would have all details about shortfall of rain and shortage of drinking water. A nodal officer has been appointed to manage the situation in every taluk. DCs have been instructed to check migration. Rs 50 lakhs has been allocated to mitigate drinking water situation in every taluk of which Rs 25 lakh has already been released.
About 8.11 lakh mini kits have been bought and distributed among the farmers free of cost to meet the cattle feed scarcity at a cost of Rs 20.66 cr. Though the government took all these steps, they have not been implemented efficiently. The relief work has not taken off at expected rate owing to disinterest on part of the ruling party. Since the media is busy covering resort politics, people aren’t getting to know the actual gory details of drought situation. CM took the officers to task recently since they had given misinformation that Rs 25 lakh that was released hadn’t reached them.
This is the time for the coalition government to open its eyes and take up drought relief work on war footing. The loan waiver schemes have to be executed at fast pace to reassure the farmers. Opposition parties have to advise the government better to manage such pro-people works.
Drought has been a curse to the state which receives good rainfall one year and then the subsequent two years would be almost dry. Hyderabad Karnataka and north Karnataka regions are known for their extreme drought like situation all through the year.
Hence the government shouldn’t initiate temporary measures but find long standing solutions for these problems. This would have a better effect on people’s lives. The coalition government needs call all-party members to involve the experts to solve this crisis and find permanent solution.
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38 arrested for disrupting Christian religious event in Udupi
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Udupi: Police arrested 38 protesters on Friday evening for allegedly attempting to disrupt a religious programme despite security arrangements in place.
According to a complaint filed by Police Inspector Mahesh Prasad of Manipal Police Station, also holding additional charge of Udupi Town Police Station, a three-day event titled “Samadhana Mahotsava” was organised at the Udupi Christian PU College grounds from March 20 to 22 by the Fellowship of Udupi District Churches after obtaining permission.
The organisers had invited Christian preacher Mohan C Lazarus to the event. Anticipating protests from Hindu organisations, the organisers had secured protection orders from the Karnataka High Court, following which police deployed adequate security at the venue.
Police said that on March 20 around 5 pm, a group of 38 protesters led by Shrikant Shetty of Hindu Jagarana Vedike allegedly assembled unlawfully and marched from Govinda Kalyana Mantapa towards the venue, raising slogans.
The protesters claimed the event could involve religious conversion and attempted to proceed to the venue despite being informed by police about the High Court order and restrictions.
Police personnel detained and arrested all 38 individuals at the spot.
A case has been registered at Udupi Town Police Station under Section 189(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 112 of the Karnataka Police Act, and further investigation is underway.
