Bangalore: No Felicitations Please, People are Facing Drought: CM

From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Apr 2: With almost two-thirds of the 176 taluks in Karnataka or as many as 123 taluks facing severe drought conditions, Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda frowned upon any plans for organising felicitations for him or for any ruling BJP leaders in the State.

''Tackling drought conditions and ameliorating the hardships faced by people in the drought affected taluks, supply of drinking water and ensuring availability of fodder for the cattle while providing gainful employment to the drought-hit people should be our first priority,” he said.

Speaking to reporters at his home office, Krishna, in Bangalore on Monday, the chief minister flatly opposed holding of conventions to felicitate leaders of the party.
He said he was unaware of a function planned to felicitate him for presenting Rs one lakh crore State budget.

Karnataka Forest Minister C P Yogeshwar had announced last week that a mammoth convention would be organised on a mega scale at Palace Grounds in Bangalore to felicitate the Chief Minister for presenting the “people-friendly” budget.

Indirectly taking a dig at former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa for whom the party workers organised conventions in Hubli and Shimoga to mark his 70th birthday, Sadananda Gowda said: ''Instead of spending money for holding felicitations and conventions, the same amount could be used to drill borewells to ensure drinking water to drought-hit villages.”

Incidentally, Municipal Administration Minister Balakrishna Jarakiholi had also indicated that he was planning to organise a massive public function to felicitate the Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda.

Jarakiholi, it may be recalled, had been publicly supporting Sadananda Gowda and had even met the BJP national leaders including party national president Nitin Gadkari and senior leader L K Advani in Delhi recently.