Congress: Karnataka Faces Severe Water Crisis, But Modi Govt. Refuses to Assist People

The Congress stated on Monday that Karnataka is experiencing a grave water crisis as a result of the state’s widespread drought and accused the Modi administration of failing to assist the state’s citizens.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to speak at a public gathering in Shivamogga on the same day that Congress general secretary and in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh launched his criticism of the administration.

The prime minister is now at Shivamogga, Karnataka. “We hope his speech touches on some of the most important issues facing the state,” he said. According to Ramesh, 223 of the 236 Talukas in Karnataka are experiencing drought conditions, and the state is now experiencing a serious water crisis.

“The state administration has asked Modi Sarkar to give Rs 18,172 crore in funding to help alleviate the drought. In a post on X, he said, “Why has Modi Sarkar failed to support Karnataka’s people thus far?

According to the Congress politician, the Karnataka government has attempted to raise the number of working days under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) from 100 to 150 in order to lessen the strain that the drought is putting on the rural economy.

The plan includes a clause requiring this to be done in times of drought. But in addition to refusing to authorize the scheme’s extension, the Modi Sarkar also refused to provide Rs. 1600 crore for the payment of salaries to MGNREGS employees, according to Ramesh. He questioned when Karnataka’s MGNREGS workers will get their payments from the Modi administration.

“The Modi administration has interfered with the Karnataka government’s attempts to provide an extra 5 kg of grains to impoverished households under its Anna Bhagya Scheme since entering power in 2023,” he claimed.

He said that the Food Corporation of India (FCI) had refused to supply rice to the Karnataka government after first agreeing to sell the 2.28 lakh metric tons of rice needed to satisfy the scheme’s requests at Rs 34 per kg.

“The FCI’s efforts to sell rice in the private markets have not been effective, and as of November 2023, its rice holdings were double what it needed to retain as a buffer. Is the FCI’s unwillingness to provide the Karnataka State Government with rice, which would seem to be an easy answer to its present issues, just a matter of political retaliation? stated Ramesh.

The Congress spokesperson went on to say that B.Y. Raghavendra, the son of former BJP Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, represents Shivamogga in the Lok Sabha.

B.Y. Vijayendra, a second son of previous BJP Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, is the chief of the Karnataka State BJP. The prime minister should make clear the BJP’s position on “dynasty” in politics when he is at Shivamogga today. He said as much, pleading with the PM to end his “silence” on the matter.