Deluge on one side; famine on another
Some parts of Karnataka have suffered serious damage to property owing to torrential rains. In some other regions, there is scarcity of water owing to poor monsoon. The CM has said his government would be coming up with schemes to tackle this situation in at least 12 districts in the near future.
Some districts in North Karnataka have received good rains, while some have not. If it does not rain in the next one month in Kalaburagi, Yadgir, Raichur, Koppal and Vijayapura districts, things would go from bad to worse. There is almost 50% scarcity of rain in these areas.
Hyderabad Karnataka is in the red with lack of normal rains in the area; though it has already been two months since the monsoon set in. The farmers are tensed since the lakes, ponds and other water sources do not have water in them and the table is fast depleting. Birds and animals are suffering because of there is hardly any water in spaces where they quench their thirst. Heat is on the rise in the region. Sowing has already taken place in about 80% of the cultivable land in Kalaburagi district which amounts to six lakh hectares and farmers are looking forward to rains lashing the area soon enough to sprout the seeds. There was some sprinkle of the showers in the last week of May and that was it. Rains disappeared after that. Bhima, Amarja, Kamalavati, Mullamari, Kajina, and other major rivers have dried up in the area.
Hyderabad Karnataka region had to receive at least 120 mm rain in the month of July. But there is a lack of 60% rains in the area. Vijayapura and Kalaburagi are suffering under the dry spell. People are in distress even over drinking water. Some areas in South Karnataka such as Kolar and Chikkaballapura are also facing shortfall of rain.
The CM had called for DCs meeting on Monday at Vidhana Soudha and discussed the further plan of action. He has said a disaster management action will be initiated to tackle the distress situation in those areas with drought kind of condition. The loss caused by natural disasters should be compensated for.
The state government has already released Rs 43 crore for this purpose, and would allocate even more funds if need be. Possibilities of supplying drinking water through tankers to places that are facing scarcity of water, is also under consideration.
While all this situation is being tackled in North Karnataka, some irresponsible MLAs belonging to BJP who have benefited thousands of crores under illegal mining, have started this cry for separate North Karnataka state. Media is using all opportunities to build various narratives around some spur of the moment talks CM HD Kumaraswamy had with the members of press in Ramanagara. Some leaders are behind this ‘separate state’ demand. Leader of Opposition, Yeddyurappa is trying to fan the fire by giving silent support to those who are crying aloud for separate state, and hoping to destabilize the government.
There is a good amount of truth in the allegation that North Karnataka has got a raw deal as far as development is concerned, ever since the formation of Karnataka was complete. But the people responsible for that are the legislators who represent the region, and no one else. Nearly 100 MLAs who have been elected from the region have hardly spoken for the region in the house, as per veteran journalist Patil Puttappa’s words. Once elected, they go and create a base for themselves in Bangalore, and come to their constituencies only when elections are close or when they are invited for the events.
Hence, the people’s representatives have ignored the cause of their people big time. People know the response BJP MLAs showed when Mahadayi water sharing dispute was being protested against, by farmers of Dharwad region recently. These are the same MLAs who are encouraging this separate state cry.
Had the Prime minister convened a meeting of Goa and Maharashtra CMs, and addressed the problem, it could have been solved amicably long ago. The PM didn’t respond even when the then CM Siddaramaiah took an all-party delegation to Delhi. Leaders like BSY and Jagadish Shettar sat silently in such meetings. Now they are all very affectionate towards North Karnataka people and want a separate state for them.
Hence the efforts to divide the state are on, full swing. BJP is doing this with the upcoming general elections in mind. Instead, they should focus on developmental works in the state, help the state get aid for regions affected by famine and drought from the centre. They shouldn’t play politics in this matter.
This is a very strange situation Karnataka is facing which is stark contradiction of natural phenomenon in state. Some regions are facing famine and some others are facing floods. The elections have got over only recently. Our leaders and MLAs have to go to people to deliver better facilities for them. Instead, they shouldn’t engage in destabilizing the government. All parties have to come together for the cause of people.
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'Warm and engaging atmosphere reigned', Shashi Tharoor on Putin banquet
New Delhi (PTI): Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, who on Friday attended a banquet for Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Rashtrapati Bhawan, on Saturday described the atmosphere there as "warm" and "engaging", and said he enjoyed his conversations with many of the attendees.
Tharoo’s remarks came a day after President Droupadi Murmu hosted a banquet for the visiting Russian president at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here.
“Attended the @rashtrapatibhvn banquet for President Putin last night. A warm and engaging atmosphere reigned. Enjoyed my conversations with many of the attendees, especially my dining companions from the Russian delegation!" Tharoor said in a social media post.
Murmu, while welcoming President Putin and his delegation at the banquet, had said that his visit marked an important milestone -- the 25th anniversary of the India-Russia strategic partnership, which was established in October 2000 during his first visit to the country as president.
Murmu also appreciated Putin's support and personal commitment to the India-Russia special and privileged strategic partnership.
The Congress on Friday said that the leaders of the opposition, Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, were not invited to the banquet, and took a swipe at Tharoor for accepting the invite.
The party’s media and publicity department head, Pawan Khera, accused the government of breaking protocols daily and not believing in democratic principles.
“There is no invite to both the LoPs, Mr (Mallikarjun) Kharge and Mr (Rahul) Gandhi. This comes as a surprise, but I don't think we should be surprised. This government is known to be breaching all protocols. What else to say, ask the government,” Khera said on Friday.
Asked about Tharoor accepting the invite for the banquet, Khera said, "Ask Mr Tharoor. All of us who are in the party, if our leaders don't get invited and we get invited, we need to question our own conscience and listen to our conscience. Politics has been played in inviting or not inviting people, which in itself is questionable, and those who accept such an invite are also questionable."
“We would have listened to our voice of conscience,” he added.
Earlier, Tharoor had said that there was a time when the chairman of the external affairs committee was routinely invited, but that practice seems to have stopped some years ago.
On Thursday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged that the government tells visiting foreign dignitaries not to meet the leader of opposition due to its "insecurity".
His remarks came hours ahead of Putin's two-day visit to India.
