Bengaluru: Chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Saturday admitted that both Mr D.K. Shivakumar of the Congress and his brother, H.D. Revanna were keen on the Energy portfolio that finally went to the Janata Dal (Secular).
Speaking to reporters after a series of meetings at the Vidhana Soudha during the day, Mr Kumaraswamy blamed the media for creating confusion over the allocation of portfolios.
“A section of the media wrote that (Janata Dal (Secular) supremo) Mr Deve Gowda played a major role in the party bagging the power portfolio. They also wrote that he is against induction of Mr Shivakumar into the cabinet. This is far from true. Yes, both Mr Revanna and Mr Shivakumar were keen on the power portfolio, but the allocation of portfolios was finalised after discussion with All India Congress Committee president Rahul Gandhi. Mr Deve Gowda did not play a role,” he maintained.
The Chief Minister also said the government would insist on private sugar factories paying the farmers their dues.
Chairing a meeting at the Vidhana Soudha to discuss the delay in payment of dues to farmers by private sugar mill owners, he said notices had already been issued to the mills. On the city’s preparedness for the monsoon, he said that a meeting of BBMP officials had been called on Monday to take stock of it and instructions would be given to them to clean all the drains and remove the encroachments on the Raja Kaluves to allow smooth flow of rain water and check waterlogging in low lying areas.
Mr Kumaraswamy said there were reports of widespread rain in the state and the agriculture department had enough seeds and fertiliser for distribution among farmers during the current kharif season.
We have no hopes of govt tackling cane growers’ woes: Shanthkumar
Responding to the state government’s claim on sugar mills paying the farmers their dues, Mr Kurubur Shanthkumar, president of the Karnataka Sugarcane Growers’ Association, noted that although the private sugar mills owed the farmers Rs 2500 crore, the last government had removed the provision for fining and imprisoning the defaulting mill owners.
“We don’t have any hope of the present government solving the problems of the sugarcane growers,” Mr Kurubur Shanthkumar said.
