In Karnataka, the Congress government has accused Amit Shah, who was the Union Home Minister at the time, of delaying drought relief efforts. The allegation suggests that the relief funds, which were supposed to be allocated promptly to assist those affected by drought conditions, were delayed due to bureaucratic hurdles or political reasons.
Such accusations are not uncommon in the realm of politics, particularly when it comes to issues as critical as disaster relief and assistance for affected populations. Drought relief is crucial for farmers and communities dependent on agriculture for their livelihoods, and any delays in providing assistance can exacerbate their already dire situation.
It’s essential to consider multiple perspectives and examine the facts surrounding the situation to understand the extent of the delay and the reasons behind it. Political parties often engage in such blame games to score points against their opponents, so it’s crucial to scrutinize the claims made by both sides before drawing conclusions.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s latest jab at the Congress’ handling if the drought in Karnataka on Tuesday has gotten the regime stirred up, with chief minister Siddaramaiah accusing Shah of “blatantly lying to the people of Karnataka.”
Taking to social media platform X, the CM posted a timeline of the drought assessment and appeals. “As per the Drought Manual 2020 guidelines, a state can declare an early-season drought only during August. During Kharif 2023, the state assessed the drought twice…from November 2023 till now, you & your Ministry have been sleeping over the matter, while our 35 lakh farmers, having suffered from crop & income losses, are waiting for input subsidy of over 4663 crores,” he wrote.
Revenue minister Krishna Byre Gowda defended the government as well, saying that the Home Minister did not care to have a meeting in four months to provide relief to farmers of Karnataka. “Agriculture Secretary of GOI finalised recommendation for ‘financial assistance to Karnataka under NDRF’ and sent it for ‘an early consideration of the High Level Committee’ headed by Home Minister on Nov 20,” he said, posting a copy of the memo on X.
