Bangalore, April 9, 2012 : Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president G. Parameshwara on Sunday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party government of failing to provide clean drinking water to people in districts where fluoride content was high in groundwater.
Addressing a public meeting at the launch of ‘Join Congress, bring about a change’ programme organised by the KPCC here, Dr. Parameshwara said people, especially children, were suffering from various diseases because of consuming drinking water which has high fluoride content. He then spoke about specific problems in this context in Pavagada taluk of Tumkur district.
He criticised Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda and his predecessor B.S. Yeddyurappa for “forgetting their responsibility” of providing clean drinking water and providing a source of livelihood to people in flood- and drought-hit districts.
He asked Mr. Gowda and his Ministers to personally assess the food and water needs of people instead of sitting in their AC rooms in the Vidhana Soudha.
Dr. Parameshwara said it was a symbolic launch of the Statewide programme. It would be continued from April 28 when AICC president Sonia Gandhi visits Tumkur.
Tour
Three teams of Congress leaders would tour the drought-hit districts and present a report to both the Union and State governments seeking release of more funds for taking up relief works.
Dr. Parameshwara said the Sadananda Gowda government was on ventilator and would collapse once the BJP high command pulls the plug.
Unity
AICC general secretary in charge of Karnataka affairs Madhusudan Mistry said voters of Udupi-Chikmaglur Lok Sabha constituency elected the Congress candidate because of unity among its leaders and their hard work. The byelection victory should enthuse party leaders to work similarly till the next Assembly elections, he added.
The former Union Minister C.M. Ibrahim with his witty remarks provided relief to the crowd from the monotony of speeches.
Instead of providing succour to people, BJP leaders were busy doing ‘homas’ and ‘havanas’, he said. No Minister was listening to the instructions of the Chief Minister and government work was being done on the basis of court orders.
Minister of State for Railways K.H. Muniyappa cautioned the party not to encourage those who had betrayed it in the 2008 Assembly elections by working with its opponents.
Senior leaders such as Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman K. Rahman Khan, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council Motamma, M.V. Rajasekharan, B.K. Hariprasad, D.K. Shivakumar. film actress and former MLC Umashree, H.K. Patil, V.S. Ugrappa and B.L. Shankar were present.
Courtesy: The Hindu