Cauvery water release row: K’taka BJP warns of KRS siege, accuses Cong govt of betraying farmers

Bengaluru, July 10 (IANS) Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly R. Ashoka on Friday accused the Congress government of “betraying” the state’s farmers by continuing to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu despite a worsening water situation in the Cauvery basin.

He warned that the BJP, along with thousands of farmers, would lay siege to the Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS) reservoir if the government failed to stop the release and convene an Irrigation Consultative Committee (ICC) meeting immediately.

In a strongly worded statement, Ashoka alleged that Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar was “washing his hands in the tears of farmers” while allowing water to flow to the neighbouring state for political reasons.

Claiming that farmers in the Cauvery basin were standing in the river protesting against the alleged injustice, Ashoka said the state was witnessing inadequate rainfall, drying lakes and canals, and parched farmlands, making the continued release of water to Tamil Nadu unacceptable.

He demanded that the government immediately convene an Irrigation Consultative Committee (ICC) meeting to assess the actual water availability in the state’s reservoirs and reassure farmers.

Ashoka also urged the government to stop releasing Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu, alleging that the Congress government was doing so under a “secret understanding” with the neighbouring state. He further demanded that water be released to lakes, tanks and canals across villages to ensure irrigation for standing crops.

Warning the government against testing the patience of Kannadigas, Ashoka asked the Chief Minister to visit Mandya and witness the anger and anguish of farmers protesting in the river.

He accused the government of prioritising political interests and appeasing leaders outside the state instead of safeguarding Karnataka’s farmers and water resources.

Issuing what he described as a final warning, Ashoka said that if the government failed to convene the ICC meeting and ensure water for farmers’ fields, the BJP would mobilise thousands of farmers from the Cauvery basin and launch an intensified protest by laying siege to the KRS reservoir.

Ashoka further accused the Karnataka government of reneging on its promises to Below Poverty Line (BPL) families, alleging that the proposed Indira Food Kit scheme had been quietly shelved after months of delays. He warned that the BJP would launch a statewide agitation if the government failed to deliver the promised benefits to beneficiaries.

Ashoka questioned Chief Minister Shivakumar over what he termed the government’s “administrative failure” and alleged that Congress had misled poor people with a series of unfulfilled promises.

He said that before coming to power, Congress had promised to provide 10 kg of rice under the Anna Bhagya scheme. However, after assuming office, the government failed to supply the additional 5 kg of rice and instead continued distributing only the 5 kg of rice provided by the Centre, while announcing cash in lieu of the remaining quantity.

Ashoka further alleged that when the government could not implement that promise, it announced the Indira Food Kit, comprising toor dal, cooking oil and sugar, and publicised it extensively. However, he claimed that the proposal has now been completely abandoned, amounting to a “betrayal” of poor families.

The BJP leader alleged that the government had failed to finalise the tender process for the scheme even after eight months, claiming that internal disputes over awarding contracts had resulted in litigation and administrative delays.

He also accused the government of lacking the financial resources to implement the scheme, alleging that the state treasury had been strained by the guarantee schemes. According to Ashoka, the government was unable to spend around Rs 500 crore every month to provide nutrition kits to BPL families.

Alleging that the scheme had been shelved because of unresolved “commission” issues, Ashoka said the government had deprived poor families of their nutritional entitlement.

Demanding that the government immediately provide all the benefits originally promised to every BPL cardholder, Ashoka warned that the BJP would launch protests against what he described as the government’s “U-turn” and “deceptive policies” if corrective measures were not taken.

–IANS

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