All-party delegation must seek drought relief, not indulge in politics: Parameshwara

CH NEWS BENGALURU Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara on Thursday urged opposition parties to set aside political differences and join an all-party delegation to Delhi to seek drought relief from the Centre, stressing that the welfare of affected people must take precedence over politics. Speaking to reporters near his Sadashivanagar residence, he said appointments with the Prime Minister and Union Ministers for Home and Agriculture must be secured before finalising the delegation’s visit. The government cannot suddenly fix a date and travel to Delhi without obtaining appointments, he said, questioning whether the BJP, which had earlier governed the State, was unaware of such administrative procedures. He said Karnataka had suffered estimated losses of around ₹62,000 crore due to drought. However, the compensation sought from the Centre would be calculated according to National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) guidelines, and the State could not demand the entire loss amount as compensation. The government would convene an all-party meeting after the Dasara festivities and hold another round of discussions with leaders before seeking appointments with Central leaders. The BJP and other opposition parties would again be invited to join the delegation. The government would approach the Centre to seek relief regardless of whether the opposition participated, he said. Parameshwara also criticised attempts to give a caste angle to the incident in which police reportedly stopped some Ministers accompanying Chief Minister Siddaramaiah during Mysuru Dasara. He said police were expected to follow security protocols and that unnecessary controversies should be avoided.