Bengaluru, July 3 : Karnataka BJP President and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra on Friday criticised Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar over his appeal to farmers not to cultivate water-intensive crops due to dwindling water levels, alleging that the statement had demoralised the farming community.

Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Thursday warned of a potentially severe drought this year, urging farmers not to depend solely on reservoir water for cultivation as inflows into most major reservoirs have dropped drastically and appealed to growers across the state to avoid cultivating water-intensive crops until reservoir levels improve. He also urged farmers to plan their cropping pattern cautiously based on rainfall.

Addressing a press conference at the BJP state headquarters, Jagannath Bhavan, in Bengaluru on Friday, Vijayendra said the Chief Minister's remarks had caused concern among farmers already facing uncertainty due to deficient rainfall.

"Yesterday, the Chief Minister said there is no water and advised farmers not to cultivate crops. It is not only surprising but also deeply painful that the Chief Minister himself made such a statement after discussing the drought-like situation in the Cabinet and citing low water levels in reservoirs," he said.

He urged the Chief Minister to exercise restraint while making public statements, particularly on issues affecting farmers.

"The entire country is facing the threat of drought. At a time when nature has turned adverse, the government should instil confidence and provide reassurance to farmers. There is still hope of rainfall over the next 15 to 20 days. If farmers refrain from sowing crops based on the Chief Minister's statement, who will take responsibility?" Vijayendra asked.

Questioning the government's preparedness to tackle a possible drought, he asked what priority the state government had given to the issue when rainfall was reportedly 50 to 60 per cent below normal.

"Has the government released funds to Deputy Commissioners? Has it sanctioned financial assistance for cattle and livestock to support farmers? Has the government suddenly realised overnight that there is a drought warning? Why is it resorting to such a drama?" he alleged.

He further accused the Chief Minister of not being farmer-friendly.

"If the Chief Minister is more concerned about real estate than farmers, this is what the state's fate will be," Vijayendra claimed.

He also questioned the government's decision to release water to neighbouring Tamil Nadu despite low storage levels in Karnataka's reservoirs.

Vijayendra criticised the government for allegedly neglecting drought preparedness and farmers' welfare while citing the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls as the reason for holding the monsoon session of the Legislature only in mid-August.

"The Chief Minister says the monsoon session will be held in mid-August because of the SIR exercise. Are MLAs going door-to-door to conduct the SIR?" he asked.

Targeting the ruling Congress over the delayed Cabinet expansion, Vijayendra alleged that internal disputes were preventing the exercise.

He further claimed that even when former CM Siddaramaiah had a full Cabinet in the past, the government had failed to adequately respond to farmers' hardships during flood situations.

/IANS