Bengaluru, Sep 21 (IANS): The Janata Dal (Secular) (JD-S) on Monday alleged that senior Congress MLA from Gadag H.K. Patil’s concerns over the severe drought situation in the state exposed the alleged inaction of the Congress government.
In a statement on social media X, the JD(S) said Patil’s letter highlighting the seriousness of the drought situation showed that the government machinery was not responding adequately to the concerns of farmers.
The party alleged that Patil had complained that officials were disregarding the Chief Minister’s directions and questioned whether Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar was running the government or whether officials sitting in air-conditioned offices were taking decisions.
The JD(S) also questioned the assessment of the drought situation, alleging that several taluks with rainfall deficits of 40 to 60 per cent had not been declared drought-hit.
“While there has been no adequate rainfall and the deficit is between 40 and 60 per cent, officials appear to be dreaming that farmers in 27 taluks are prosperous,” the party alleged.
The party criticised the government for what it termed a Bengaluru-centric approach to administration and alleged that officials sitting in air-conditioned offices were deciding the fate of farmers in North Karnataka.
The JD(S) also questioned the functioning of the administrative machinery in the digital era, claiming that official communications reportedly took several days to reach their intended destinations.
“Is this an IT-BT state or Stone Age administration?” the party asked, criticising the government over the alleged delay in official communication.
The JD(S) further said Patil himself had recorded that officials were “tarnishing the image of the government” and questioned what more could be said about the functioning of the administration after such a statement from a senior Congress legislator.
The party urged the government to take the concerns raised by Patil seriously and address the difficulties faced by farmers in drought-affected regions.
Former minister H.K. Patil, who was left out of the Cabinet, has warned that the government has failed to properly identify and categorise drought-hit regions. He has said that if the taluks in the Gadag constituency, which he represents, are not declared drought-hit, he would resign as MLA. He has also urged the government to reconsider the guidelines for declaring areas drought-hit.
In his letter, Patil further stated that officials of the Statistics Department were not following his directions regarding crop insurance.
“The truth is not being respected. Officials are distorting facts for their convenience. They have taken decisions in violation of the guidelines and the decisions taken at the meeting chaired by Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar,” he stated.
“This anti-farmer approach is damaging the image of the government. It is regrettable that 27 of the 73 taluks in the Kittur Karnataka region have not been declared drought-hit,” Patil stated in his letter to Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar.
