Rajanna-Sircilla: Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister KT Rama Rao came down heavily on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for announcing freebies to Karnataka ahead of the assembly elections there.
Commenting on the BJP’s Karnataka election manifesto, the Minister asked whether Modi was the Prime Minister only for Karnataka or for the entire country? Why would the BJP not give free gas cylinders and milk to people of other States, he asked, also finding fault with the preferential treatment to industrialist Adani. Pointing out that the transfer of the Jaipur International Airport to the Adani Group was exempted from GST, he said that however, the common man was being slapped with GST even on milk, curd and other milk-based products.
Calling this the double standards of the Modi government, Rama Rao said Modi talked loud against freebies, but was himself doing exactly the same in Karnataka. The people would teach Modi a befitting lesson by defeating him in the elections, he said.
Addressing a press conference after examining damaged crops in paddy fields and paddy procurement centres in the district on Tuesday, the Minister said crop was produced in a big way because of the availability of adequate water, power and other facilities. However, the recent hailstorms have shattered the hopes of farmers. The government led by the BRS, which was also known as the Bharat Rythu Samithi, would provide all support to the farmers, he said.
On paddy procurement, Rama Rao said so far, 7.5 lakh tons of paddy was procured this season, compared to the 4 lakh tons procured in the corresponding season last year. Stating that the crop damage assessment was completed, he said the compensation would reach the affected farmers very soon.
