Karnataka Revenue Minister takes a dig at Centre over call to rename India as Bharat; check details

Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda criticizes the central government for focusing on name changes instead of addressing critical issues like rising prices and exploitation of the poor. He emphasizes the importance of real development and calls for a review of criteria for declaring drought to better serve the population.

Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda has criticized the central government for its focus on changing India's name rather than addressing the country's problems. He expressed concerns over the worsening conditions for the people under the BJP-led central government, citing rising prices and the exploitation of the poor to support farmers.

Gowda asserted that emotional issues are being used to divert attention from the real problems, but he believes this strategy will not succeed in the long run. He emphasized that sentimental matters cannot sustain a nation and that real development occurs when hungry citizens are provided with food and employment opportunities.

The minister condemned the practice of using the poor for votes and stated that the politics of exploiting the poor would come to an end. In response to questions about drought in the state, Gowda reported that a crop survey had identified 62 taluks facing drought conditions. He added that an additional survey of 51 taluks is ongoing, with the goal of providing assistance to areas affected by drought.

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The state government has allocated funds for free fodder seeds to prevent shortages and plans to create 150 guaranteed job opportunities under the NREGA program in drought-affected regions. They have also released 529 crores in the Collector's account. Gowda appealed to the central government to reconsider its guidelines for declaring drought, expressing concerns that the existing criteria do not effectively address the needs of the people.

The minister highlighted the challenges faced by the state government in providing timely assistance due to the central government's restrictive standards, urging a review of these criteria to better serve the population.