Minister Umesh Katti draws flak for asking farmer to die for seeking more rice in PDS
Bengaluru, Apr 28: Karnataka Food and Civil Supplies Minister Umesh Katti on Wednesday drew flak from Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa and opposition parties for reportedly asking a farmer to die when he requested enhanced supply of rice though the Public Distribution System.
Katti later withdrew his statement, tendered an apology and said he never wanted anyone to die and that everyone should prosper.
Ishwar, the farmer activist from Gadag in North Karnataka, rang up Katti on Wednesday and asked him how he expected people to survive on just two kg of rice a month when the lockdown has rendered thousands jobless.
To Ishwar's query, the minister replied that the Centre would be giving five kg foodgrains in May and June in view of the lockdown.
This did not satisfy the farmer, who then sought to know whether people should fast till that period or die.
"It's better to die. It's better that you stop the business of selling rice. Don't ring me again," Katti said.
The government had decided to give two kg of rice and three kg of ragi through PDS in South Karnataka,and two kg of rice and three kg of either maize or wheat in North Karnataka.
The minister later clarified that he never meant anyone should die and that all 6.5 crore people in Karnataka should prosper and survive.
He said the entire quota of food grains under the PDS for April, alloted by the Centre, had already been disributed.
"What can I do if someone makes such a statement? We are giving the Central quota from May 1 to May 10. No one should die and no one should ask such questions."
The Chief Minister's Office, in a statement, quoted Yediyurappa as saying that he disapproved of the remarks and that it does not behove a minister to tell a farmer to die when the latter demanded five kg of rice.
"Arrangements are being made to give five kg of rice to the people in the area who do not need wheat," he said.
Congress state chief D K Shivakumar slammed Katti's remarks and demanded that the government remove him from his post.
"BJP Minister Umesh Katti has abused a citizen & asked him to 'go die' just because he asked him why Karnataka Govt has cut Rice under PDS to just 2 kgs! "CM @BSYBJP (Yediyurappa) must immediately throw him out of the cabinet for this most insensitive statement.
Does this Govt have any shame?" Shivakumar tweeted.
Former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy too lambasted Katti for his statement.
"The Food and Civil Supplies Minister, who is supposed to come to the aid of the starving people in this COVID-19 pandemic, has displayed his mental distortion," he tweeted.
He said it was 'inhumane' on the part of the Minister to make such a statement.
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Committed to realise dreams of people; Appointments on 48K posts soon: Hemant Soren on Republic Day
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Dumka (PTI): Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren said on Sunday that he was committed to realising the dreams of people who "scripted history" by voting to power the alliance he leads for a second term.
Unfurling the Tricolour at Dumka Police Line on Republic Day, Soren said his government fulfilled its promise and 56 lakh women in the age group of 18-50 were receiving assistance of Rs 2,500 per month under 'Maiyan Samman Yojna' while the process is on for recruitment on 48,000 posts soon.
"To wage war against injustice and atrocities has been our tradition. History is witness to how even before 1857 tribals here fought for Independence. Their struggle is our source of inspiration," he said.
Soren said his government was working in a planned manner to ensure that the tribals oppressed for centuries get their dues and the state could move forward on the path of development.
"The process of recruitment in the state has been expedited...The list for appointments on 48,000 posts has been sent to Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission...Advertisements have been released for 46,000 posts while appointments have been done on 5,000 posts. The process for appointment on 28,000 posts is in the last leg," Soren said.
To aid youth to attain self-reliance, loans to the tune of Rs 438 crore have been distributed among 7,625 youth under 'Mukhyamantri Rojgar Srijan Yojna' in 2024-25 while about 5 lakh youth were imparted skill training under 'Mukhyamantri Sarathi Yojna', he said, adding that over 2 lakh trained youth have got job offers.
Besides to arrest migration, Rs 2,430 crore have been distributed among youth under MNREGA and 2.66 lakh 'Sakhi Mandal' (women self help groups) have been provided bank credit linkages, he said.
Soren added that under the Palash brand - an initiative to empower women, 47 marts have been opened to provide a platform to sell products made by women and it has earned them national recognition.
"To accelerate industrial development, Jharkhand has notified Jharkhand Industrial Park and Logistic Policy and is striving to become a 'land-linked state' from 'land-locked state'", Soren asserted while stating that it has also been decided to provide 40 per cent subsidy to MSME units in the state.
Apart from promoting Tasar cultivation of which Jharkhand is a leading producer, the Jharkhand government is making all efforts to promote education and is operating '80 CM Schools of Excellence' for providing education on par with private institutions to rural students, he said and claimed that 4,041 panchayat level schools will be developed as model schools in the state in the next three years.
Besides under 'Guruji Student Credit Card Scheme', Rs 40 crore educational loans have been provided to 650 students who were not able to pursue academics after 12th standard due to financial hurdles.
Soren also listed various educational schemes for students including the Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Munda scholarship to provide assistance to students of SC/ST and backward communities to pursue their higher education dreams abroad.
For the benefit of farmers, the government waived Rs 403 crore agriculture loans of 1.82 lakh farmers under 'Jharkhand Krishi Rin Mafi Yojna', he said and added under Millet Mission, the government was providing Rs 3,000 per acre to farmers up to 5 acres of land for cultivation of such crops.
For health, under Mukhyamantri Abua Swasthya Yojna, Rs 15 lakh is being provided per family for treatment besides various other initiatives.
Soren said to augment infrastructure, 89 highways and 9 bridges completed at an expenditure of Rs 2,796 crore were inaugurated in the state in the ongoing fiscal while drinking water connectivity was ensured to 34.17 lakh of 62.55 lakh rural families.
He claimed that 41 lakh electric consumers in the state were getting 200 units of electricity free per month.
Also, he claimed that the forest cover in the state has increased to 34 per cent of the total geographic area and a number of initiatives are on to promote tourism including eco-tourism in the state.
He said his government was committed to fulfil the dream of a prosperous Jharkhand.
