Bengaluru, Oct 10 (IANS) Karnataka BJP president B. Y. Vijayendra on Friday criticised the state government for making a “hasty” decision on conducting the caste census without “adequate” preparation.

Speaking to the media persons at Vidhana Soudha, BJP MLA Vijayendra said that even the teachers appointed as enumerators are facing difficulties due to “poor” planning.

“Extending holidays for the census is causing problems for rural students, especially those studying in government schools. Every single school day is crucial for these children, yet the government has declared unnecessary holidays, disrupting their education,” he said.

Vijayendra further alleged that the government had convened the first meeting of the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) without even sharing the meeting agenda with the legislators.

“They are conducting the meeting in secrecy, without any transparency. They talk about holding elections in December – but where is the preparation? How many officials will be appointed? What about the infrastructure? There’s no groundwork at all. They are making politically motivated announcements without any planning,” he remarked.

Vijayendra hit out at the government’s failure to maintain Bengaluru’s roads, saying, “The people of Bengaluru are disgusted with this government. Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar is busy counting potholes near Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence and elsewhere, while Bengaluru’s citizens are struggling to find roads between potholes.”

He added, “The government talks about London and the Prime Minister, but shouldn’t they first fix Bengaluru? The people of this city are demanding immediate action to repair roads, not empty promises.”

“Farmers are already in distress, and now heavy rains have worsened their situation in North Karnataka. Yet the Agriculture and Revenue Ministers have not even visited the affected areas. If they don’t have time to visit suffering farmers, why should they remain ministers at all?” he questioned.

“Had the opposition leaders and I not visited the flood-hit regions of Kalyana Karnataka, the Chief Minister would have sat comfortably in his air-conditioned office making decisions through video conference. We visited Bidar, Kalaburagi, Raichur, and Yadgir, while the Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka and others went to Belagavi and Bagalkote. The government must act urgently to compensate farmers – they cannot be made to wait indefinitely. Even Agriculture Minister Krishna Byre Gowda’s promise to release compensation within 10 days has not been fulfilled,” he alleged.

Commenting on the MySugar factory issue in Mandya, Vijayendra said confusion continues to prevail. He also hinted that BJP members might skip the GBA meeting, saying, “What is the point of attending a meeting when even the agenda is not shared? Even ruling party legislators are opposing the way this has been handled. The government seems more interested in patching over internal cracks than serving the people. It has become an administration run jointly with the real estate mafia.”

Responding to questions about political developments, Vijayendra said, “Judging by the reactions of Congress ministers and MLAs, it’s clear that all is not well within the ruling party. Even Congress insiders admit that the current political developments will reach a logical conclusion after the Bihar elections.”

–IANS

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