'Govt obtained Rs 90k-cr loans in 4 yrs, state most corrupt under Cong'

Mysuru,May 7 (DHNS): Former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa said on Saturday that BJP leaders would undertake a 45-day tour of the state.

The tour will begin in all district headquarters on May 18 to understand the problems of the people and organise an agitation against the Congress government.

Presiding over the inaugural function of the two-day executive committee meeting of the state BJP here, he said demands for waiver of farm loans and steps to mitigate drought will be placed before the government and protests will be organised.

“As per an independent survey, Karnataka ranks first in the list of the most corrupt states. Law and order has collapsed across the state. People are finding it difficult to even get drinking water, but Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is relaxing in Dubai,” he said.

“Primary Education Minister Tanveer Sait continues to be in the Cabinet despite allegations against him of receiving a bribe of Rs 3 crore. Government officials were manipulated to distribute money to voters in the bypolls in Nanjangud and Gundlupet Assembly constituencies, recently.”

“Transfer of government officials have become a money-spinning business for the ruling party politicians,” he said. Pointing out that loans availed of during the five-year rule of the BJP in Karnataka were

Rs 30,000 crore, he said, Siddaramaiah has pushed the government to the verge of bankruptcy by borrowing loans to the tune of Rs 90,000 crore in just four years.

“Siddaramaiah had promised to spend Rs 10,000 crore on the Upper Krishna project, but even after completion of four years of his term, the government has spent just Rs 3,000 crore. The Union government has sanctioned 1.4 lakh houses under various schemes for the poor in Karnataka, but the state government has so far constructed only 10,000 houses,” he said.

Reducing dependence

Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilisers Ananth Kumar said, by launching the South Asia satellite on Friday, India, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was trying to facilitate the development of all nations in South Asia, except Pakistan, thus reducing dependence of these nations on either the USA or Russia. “In other words, India is now trying to play ‘Big Brother’ of South Asia,” he said.

Muralidhar Rao, BJP general secretary in charge of the party’s affairs in Karnataka, seconded the opinion of Kumar and said gone were the days when India thought only about its own development.

“India is on a progress path under the Modi government and the GDP growth this year is expected to be around 8%. Now, our development mantra is for the entire South Asia,” he said.

Muralidhar Rao’s faux pas

In a faux pas, BJP general secretary Muralidhar Rao said, in the 2018 Assembly polls, the Congress would sweep to power with 150 seats, instead of saying BJP. In the flow of his speech, not many noticed it. He too did not try to correct himself.