Bidar (Karnataka) [India], July 13 : Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) State President BY Vijayendra strongly criticised the state Congress government for its alleged negligence toward the drought-stricken farmers of North and Kalyana Karnataka.
Highlighting the severe distress in districts like Bidar, Gulbarga, and Yadgir, where rainfall has plummeted to a mere 12 per cent, Vijayendra demanded immediate financial assistance for the agricultural sector.
"Over 30 lakh hectares of agricultural land remain uncultivated because of the failure of rains. Farmers are struggling to survive as major crops like pigeon pea (togari), sunflower, and cotton could not even be sown," Vijayendra stated during a press briefing at the airport.
Vijayendra dismissed Chief Minister DK Shivakumar's recent visit to Basavakalyan as a mere "photo shoot," alleging that the government has failed to deliver any actual relief on the ground.
The BJP leader demanded that the state government immediately disburse a minimum compensation of Rs 50,000 per acre to support the farmers currently in extreme distress.
Vijayendra reminded the public that the previous BJP government under former Chief Minister of Karnataka BS Yediyurappa had proactively released Rs 100 crore and Rs 200 crore sequentially, initiating a project worth nearly Rs 500 crore.
He accused the Congress government of completely ignoring the project over the last three years despite public pressure. He urged the CM to immediately release the remaining funds and prioritise its development.
Addressing media queries about internal conflicts within the Bidar district BJP unit, the Karnataka BJP chief announced that a Core Committee meeting has been convened to discuss and resolve all local issues amicably.
He strongly refuted allegations of any "adjustment politics" between BJP MLAs and the Congress party in Bidar, asserting that the BJP stands firmly as a strong opposition dedicated to fighting for the welfare of the people and farmers.
Vijayendra addressed the need to be more active in view of the upcoming district panchayat and other local body elections.
"We have to be more active since we will be facing the upcoming district panchayat and other local body elections. So we will interact with our district leaders, our MLAs and other senior leaders. The BJP has to be prepared for the upcoming local body elections, so we will be discussing all these issues," he said.
The BJP State President further assured that the party's core committee will chart out a definitive roadmap on how district and state-level leaders will aggressively intervene to address the escalating farmers' crisis in the region.