Pics: Sunil Bekal
Daijiworld Media Network – Beltangady (SP)

Beltangady, Jan 8: State Chief Minister, B S Yeddyurappa, accused the opposition parties of playing politics in the guise of organizations of farmers, and trying to bring the state government to disrepute. Charging both the JDS and the Congress Party failing to do anything for the farmers when they were in power, he warned them that appropriate action will be taken against their efforts aimed at disrupting peace in the state.

Speaking to reporters at Sannidhi guest house in Dharmasthala on Thursday January 7, he said that the opposition parties would be grossly wrong, if they treat the Chief Minster’s concern for farmers and honesty as his weaknesses. “If the political parties try to misuse my positive points, I will hit back with appropriate action. These parties should indulge in introspection as to what they had done when in power,” he advised. He asked the farmers not to fall prey to misinformation campaign, and to realize that his government is aiming at achieving their welfare.

Promising the farmers to provide additional facilities in the coming budget, he said, his government will shortly bring out a handbook giving details of what it had done for the farmers so far. Claiming that his is the first government in the state’s history to have extended the highest assistance to the agriculturist community, he listed taking emergent rehabilitation of the flood affected people, making industrialists, mutts etc., to come to the rescue of the affected people and having relocated 350 villages as the achievements of the state government. “No government in the post-independence era has done as much as we have done. We have also given a subsidy of two rupees per litre of milk procured to the dairy farmers,” he added.

When his attention was drawn towards the persisting problem of power shortage, he said he has been doing his best to augment power production. “Even after we took measures to increase power generation, we have been unable to meet the ever-increasing demand. We have been supplying power by purchasing from outside, and for some categories of people, free power is being given,” he explained.

About the farmers’ agitation in Davangere, he said that the previous governments had initiated steps to acquire lands of farmers and that his government is being blamed for the same now. He claimed that in respect of the sugar factory agitation in Davangere, JDS is indulging in political gimmicks.

After his arrival in Dharmasthala on the night of Wednesday, he had the darshan of Lord Manjunatha Swamy, and took part in the religious ceremonies. After paying obeisance to the Lord on Thursday morning, he inspected the guard of honour by the policemen and left by a helicopter.

MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, MLA Yogish Bhat, MLC Capt Ganesh Karnik, district BJP president, Padmanabha Kottary, former MLA, Prabhakar Bangera, Dakshina Kannada district deputy commissioner, assistant commissioner, superintendent of police and several other dignitaries and officials were present.