Firoz.T.Totanawala The Bangalore Metro Reporter THE DROUGHT OF ASSISTANCE WORSENING DROUGHT SITUATION IN STATE, NO RELIEF YET

By Firoz.T.Totanawala 

The Bangalore Metro Reporter 

THE DROUGHT OF ASSISTANCE! 

 WORSENING DROUGHT SITUATION IN STATE, NO RELIEF YET! 

 The opposition Congress and JD(S) are busy sending their team of leaders to study the drought situation in the state. The former CM B.S.Yeddyurappa has already toured some parts of the drought stricken areas and submitted his report demanding immediate relief. As on now, the Chief Minister Sadananda has to contend with two opposition parties in addition to his own inside opponent Yedurappa. In fact, Yedurappa on the pretext of drought is waging yet another war to become the CM again… 

‘When Rome was burning, Nero was fiddling’ - thus goes a famous saying. The same can be applied to our Karnataka state where more than 50% of the state is reeling under severe drought. It is not that the government had not foreseen the situation as there were drought signs in many parts since three months back. The government declared more than 120 taluks as drought affected and remitted the land revenue. Except this, the government simply sat tight. 

 The state’s drought situation was to be discussed in the state legislature in the budget session commencing from 20th of March. But before the budget session started, the revolt by Yedurappa and his group cast a shadow over the conduct of the budget session itself. Yedurappa had gathered his flock of MLAs and herded them to a luxury resort and threatened to boycott the budget session. Further, as the elections to the Rajya Sabha was to be held simultaneously, Yedurappa set up a rebel candidate. Eventually due to Yedurappa’s revolt, Sadananda lost majority in the Assembly. The presentation of the budget, let alone discussion over the drought situation, was itself in doubt. Finally at last long, the BJP High command successfully averted the crisis. And Sadananda managed to present the budget and there were meaningful discussions over the drought situation in the state. 

But the sad part is that Sadananda could not effectively tackle the drought situation. Had the district in charge ministers camped in their respective districts, it would have helped the government to take up relief works by the district administration effectively. Besides the district-in-charge ministers, there are district in charge secretaries also. These Secretaries who are all senior IAS officers are liable to personally supervise the district administration in their allotted districts. But the fact is that they seldom visit their districts, then, how one can expect the district administration to take up relief works effectively? 

 Incidentally, most of the districts in charge ministers in the drought affected areas are in Yedurappa camp who are fighting for Yedurappa’s return as CM. The prominent district-in-charge ministers like Basavaraj Bommai, Murugesh Nirani, Jagadish Shettar, CM Udasi etc. are busy lobbying for Yedurappa’s comeback as CM. That is why Sadananda has now entrusted the supervision of the relief works to local MLAs, which is the best available option now. Now the Congress and JD(S) are also on a Drought Yatra. The Congress has formed three committees headed by KPCC President Dr.G.Parameswar, Opposition leaders Siddaramaiah and Motamma, the opposition leader in the Council to study the drought situation and submit a report to party. Later, a Congress delegation will meet Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister and Finance Minister to demand liberal grants to the state for drought relief. 

 The JD(S) has gone one step further. It has constituted 26 Teams each headed by a MLA/MLC to extensively tour the drought affected areas and get first hand information. The report of all the teams will be compiled and the JD(S) MPs in the Loksabha along with other MPs will take up the issue in the Parliament, pressing for more funds and for permanent projects to prevent the drought situation in future. The JD(S) has already donated one month salary of its legislators towards drought relief. 

 And the wonder of wonders is that Yedurappa has also undertaken tour of the drought affected areas. His visits to the drought areas resemble the flying visit of a Maharaja. He goes to one or two places accompanied by his loyalist Ministers and MLAs with the official machinery present in full strength. Yedurappa gives them orders, instructions and talks towards relief operations. Interestingly, at one or two occasions, he has even taken Sadananda to task for not doing enough relief works. 

 However, he cut short his drought yatra to rush to Bangalore to meet the BJP’s National Secretary and Karnataka in charge Dharmendra Pradhan, who was on a personal visit to Bangalore. Yedurappa met and discussed his demands with Pradhan for hours together. However, his re-instatement as the CM appears very difficult as Sadananda is doing a good work without giving room to any scams or controversies. 

 Whatsoever, the drought yatra, study tours, promises to the affected people are all irrelevant to the drought affected people. They do not have drinking water and food and the least the government could do is to take up the water supply on a war footing. Then there is the question of food to people and fodder for cattle and other domestic animals. With Sadananda himself supervising the relief operations, one may expect good things in the coming days. But, in general, the Drought cum Politcal Yatras will not do any good to the drought stricken people. 

And that is all.