Prathapsimha Nayak
Credit: DH Photo
Mangaluru: Karnataka MLC Prathapsimha Nayak has alleged that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is desperate to save his chair and is stirring caste sentiments to cover up corruption charges.
"Siddaramaiah who keeps claiming that he is committed to secularism and social justice is using caste plank to shield himself from the MUDA scam," he told mediapersons in Mangaluru.
Coming down heavily on the allotment of five acres of land to Siddhartha Vihar Trust run by Congress national president Mallikarjuna Kharge's family, he said there is no end to the desires of the Kharge family. "Kharge who claims himself as a champion of Dalits should have strengthened the Dalit families. The allotment of the site also amounts to misuse of power," he alleged.
"The Chief Minister is busy saving his chairs while the ministers and MLAs are engaged in a drama in the name of supporting him," the BJP leader said, further adding, "The administrative mechanism, pro-people programmes, development works have come to a stand still. The government has become inactive and has reached a coma stage". He also alleged that there is no one to listen to the woes of the people in the state.
Nayak accused the state government of failing to pay relief for the farmers affected by drought and flood.
"The law and order situation has failed totally in the state," he said and added that 340 rape cases have been reported in the state in the past seven months, which he believes clearly indicate that there is no safety for women in Karnataka. Nayak said that the promise of hiking honorarium for the Anganwadi workers during the assembly elections has not been materialised so far. Instead, Anganwadi workers failed to get honorarium for the past three months.
Owing to the burden of guarantee schemes, the state's fiscal situation is so poor that about Rs 110 crore is pending as water bills and Rs 4,500 crore is yet to be reimbursed to the KSRTC. The promise of earmarking Rs 500 crore every year for Narayana Guru Development Corporation every year has not been fulfilled so far, he alleged.
Taxpayers money wasted
The MLC said that in the name of Guarantee Scheme Implementation Authority, taxpayers' money is being wasted by the government. "A Cabinet rank is given to the State Authority president and vice president. The district authority president is paid Rs 40,000 per month and five vice presidents at the district level are paid Rs 1,200 per sitting. The Guarantee Panel authority has become a platform for the Congress workers," he added.