Slamming B.Y. Raghavendra, BJP candidate for Shivamogga parliamentary seat, for his alleged failure to resolve the problems faced by farmers who have submitted applications seeking grant of land under the Forest Rights Act, JD(S) candidate Madhu Bangarappa said on Friday that if elected, he would raise the issue in Parliament.
More than 85,000 applications have been submitted in the district under Forest Rights Act; 42,407 have been rejected while 39,970 are yet to be disposed of. It is necessary to amend the Act to grant land to all the eligible applicants. It is unfortunate that former Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, who was elected from Shivamogga Lok Sabha seat in 2014, and Mr. Raghavendra, who won the recent byelection, have failed to initiate discussions on the issue in Parliament, Mr. Bangarappa said at a press conference here on Friday.
Accusing Mr. Raghavendra and Mr. Yeddyurappa of politicising the issue of revival of Visvesvaraya Iron and Steel Plant, a public sector unit in Bhadravathi, he said that owing to the negligence of the BJP MPs elected from Shivamogga since 2009, the firm has been pushed into financial crises. The JD(S) leader said that he would also strive for the implementation of the Hosahalli, Puradakere, Mugur and Mudi-Kuneteppa lift irrigation projects in two years, for which the State government has allocated funds in the 2019-20 budget.
On the differences prevailing among leaders of the JD(S) and Congress in Tirthahalli and Bhadravathi taluks, he saidthe issue would be resolved through talks. Minister for Water Resources D.K. Shivakumar, who will visit Shivamogga on Saturday, is expected to hold discussions with leaders of both parties on the issue, Mr. Bangarappa said.
Expressing confidence of better performance in Byndoor Assembly segment that falls under Shivamogga parliamentary seat, he said that, the youths in Malnad and coastal Karnataka regions have realised that, they were used by the divisive forces in the name of religion for political benefits.