Pics: Umesh Marpalli
Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (UM)

Udupi, Dec 28: Udupi-Chikkamagaluru MP Shobha Karandlaje on Monday December 28 launched an attack on the Congress-led state government and said that people would give a fitting reply to Congress for its 'failure' over the last two-and-a-half years.

Addressing a press meet here, Shobha Karandaje said, "We are confident that BJP candidate Kota Srinivas Poojary will win the MLC election by majority. There is anti-Congress wave throughout the state, but let us if it will be manifested in this election or not.

"BJP is confident of winning the maximum number of seats in the forthcoming zilla panchayat and taluk panchayat elections too. People will give a fitting reply to the two years of failure of the Congress-led government," she added.

"The state government's inability to deal with drought in itself proves its bad governance. The union government has announced Rs 1,540 crore as funds for drought, but the government has failed to utilize the amount. Funds have been released under State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF), but no work has been undertaken yet by the state government despite instructions to do so by the union government. Not a single paise has been spent on drought relief. The chief minister and the agriculture minister have completely failed in this regard," she alleged.

"I have visited Raichur and Koppala where there is acute shortage of drinking water. But no measures have been taken to deal with the situation and no funds set aside for the purpose. It is hard to know whether there is any government in the state at all," she added.

"The union government will provide funds and necessary facilities to physically challenged and SC/ST communitiies after conducting survey, but the state government has still not submitted a proposal regarding number of beneficiaries in the state. It is high time the government wakes up from its slumber," she said.

Shobha also claimed that though the union government has released funds for the dredging work in Kodi Kanyana and Malpe, the state government was yet to call for tenders to undertake the work.

"People will give a fitting reply to Congress in the zilla panchayat and taluk panchayat polls. People in Udupi district are angry with the state government. There is a pro-BJP wave in the district. From January 1, I will
visit all taluk and zilla panchayats to select candidates for the polls," she said.

Regarding collection of toll on NH-66 even before completion of work, she said she has asked union transport and highway minister Nitin Gadkari to suspend the toll collection until December 2016.

Asked to respond to district in-charge minister Vinay Kumar Sorake's statement that she can be seen only in press meets and was not doing any development works, Shobha said, "As I am MP of both Chikkamagaluru and Udupi, I visit both the districts regularly, and when I visit one district, the people in the other district do not come to know of it. I never sit at home even for a day. It is my dream to see BJP in power again in the state, hence I am touring the state to solve people's problems. The district in-charge minister (Sorake) can keep developing only Kaup if he wants to, but as a minister he should tour the state. When he goes to other districts people there do not even know him. People will give a fitting reply in future."

Former ZP vice-president Sharada Bijoor from Congress joined BJP on the occasion.

MLC Kota Srinivas Poojary, BJP district president Thingale Vikramarjuna Hegde and others were present.