India News | State Govt Has Failed to Take Off, Ignoring Rising Farmer Suicides: Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. Kumaraswamy said, "Hundreds of farmers are being driven to the path of suicide due to immense distress, and massive crop damage has been reported across several regions."
Mandya (Karnataka) [India], July 31 (ANI): Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy launched a scathing attack on the Karnataka state government over its alleged failure to address agrarian distress, claiming that the current administration appears completely stagnant.
Addressing the media in B Hatna village, the Janata Dal (Secular) leader highlighted the grim reality of the state's agricultural sector.
"Farmer suicides have unfortunately started rising again in the state," Kumaraswamy said.
Kumaraswamy added, "Hundreds of farmers are being driven to the path of suicide due to immense distress, and massive crop damage has been reported across several regions."
Criticising Ministers and ruling party leaders for superficial visits to affected areas, he added, "Leaders should stop visiting fields just for photo opportunities. The need of the hour is to build confidence and boost morale among our farmers, especially now when banks have started actively issuing loan recovery notices to them."
Failure of Guarantee Schemes turning his focus toward the state's fiscal management, the Union Minister questioned the implementation of the government's flagship welfare programs.
He asked what exactly the state government was doing while failing to adequately fund its own Guarantee Schemes.
"They promised a thorough revision of these schemes, but they have not even revised half of them," Kumaraswamy stated.
He urged the administration to shift its priorities, saying, "Put these guarantees aside for a moment and focus your entire attention on the plight of the farmers."
Kumaraswamy also took a swipe at internal party politics and the frequent Delhi trips made by ruling party members.
"You sit in Delhi for three to four days straight. Around 30 to 40 MLAs are currently camping in Delhi just lobbying for ministerial positions. Looking at all this, it does not even feel like this government has taken off. The government must stop this and immediately provide relief to distressed farmers."
Ahead of the All-Party Meeting, commenting on the upcoming all-party meeting, Kumaraswamy dismissed any claims of novelty by the current Chief Minister in convening the discussion.
He expressed strong reservations regarding how the state has handled interstate water disputes.
"We have no clarity on what arguments the state government actually presented before the Cauvery Water Management Authority," he noted.
"Decisions of this magnitude cannot be made while sitting comfortably in air-conditioned rooms in Delhi. They should have assessed the actual live water storage status of dams in both states before arriving at any conclusions."
The Union Minister suggested that a more proactive diplomatic and ground-level approach was missing.
"The state government should have sent an official delegation to Tamil Nadu to conduct a thorough ground inspection. They needed to clarify whether Tamil Nadu is demanding water strictly for drinking purposes or for their standing crops."
Kumaraswamy concluded by stating that he intends to rigorously raise and discuss these critical loopholes during the scheduled all-party meeting. (ANI)
(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)