K’taka BJP threatens to lock up Escom offices

Chikballapur: Karnataka BJP has decided to lock up Escom offices, and stage agitations if the Congress government fails to ensure an uninterrupted seven hours of power supply in three phases to farmers.
“We will lock up Escom offices and launch protests if the government fails to provide seven hours of power in three phases to farmers. How many cases will the government book against the people and send them to jail?
“We will go to jail in such a big number that you will be forced to release us. There are as many as 1.50 lakh IP sets, and all the crops are drying in Chikballapur district for want of power,” former Chief Minister Basvaraj Bommai said while addressing a mammoth farmers’ protest organised by the BJP here on Wednesday.
The previous BJP government, he said, had given Rs 10,000 crore to the Energy Department. However, the present government has not released any grant as it did not have money to release the grant and purchase coal, the former CM said.
Farmers are being given hardly two hours of power daily, but the power tariff has been hiked two times in the last three months, he added.
Bommai said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had promised to give 10 kg of rice free to every BPL family, and only three kg of rice is being given. “This government tells lies and cheats people,” he said.
The previous BJP government gave 10 kg of rice till December last year and subsequently, five kg of rice and one kg ragi, the Senior BJP leader said.
“Despite this, the people did not bless the BJP. What should be done to the government which distributes three kg of rice? Should we not protest against it? The Congress promised Rs 2,000 for every woman under the ‘Gruha Lakshmi’ scheme and made women stand before the banks,” he said.
Former Ministers R Ashoka, Dr Sudhakar, and MP Muniswamy were present at the farmers’ protest.