Former Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly Siddaramaiah on Friday joined the chorus of opposition to the proposed amendments to the Electricity Act 2003, which he said would snatch away the rights of the State governments over the power sector.
Though electricity fell in the concurrent list of the Constitution, the States were exercising control over the power sector. But, the proposed amendment, which envisages the setting up of an Electricity Contract Enforcement Authority by the Centre, was a conspiracy to deny autonomy to the State governments in the sector, Mr. Siddaramaiah alleged while speaking to reporters in Mysuru on Friday.
The Karnataka government extends subsidies amounting to ₹14,000 to ₹15,000 crore every year to various sectors including farmers owning irrigation pumpsets. Under the proposed amendment, the Centre has taken a stand to reimburse the subsidy amount only after the bill is paid. “Is this possible for the farmers?”, he asked.
COVID relief
The former Chief Minister came down heavily on the Centre for its failure to extend any financial assistance to the State governments to fight COVID-19.
He described the ₹20 lakh crore financial assistance announced by the Centre as a ‘bogus’ package. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi did little other than asking people of the country to clap their hands and light candles”, Mr. Siddaramaiah said.
The Congress leader also shot back at the BJP leaders in Karnataka for accusing him of playing politics with COVID-19 after he gave voice to the suffering of migrants and the hungry poor. “Should we keep quiet even when the migrant labourers and the hungry poor were dying in the State? The migrant labourers in Karnataka have suffered a lot. They were even made to pay for their travel to their native places by buses and trains. Only after we (Congress leaders) intervened, the State government announced that their travel will be free”, Mr. Siddaramaiah said.
The former Chief Minister also reiterated that the State government should not take any hasty decision to reopen schools and suggested that the reopening should be put off by another three months.
Claiming that school-going children will invariably mingle with each other, Mr. Siddaramaiah said the possibility of COVID-19 spreading to their family members and neighbours will be high if the children contract the virus.