Raichur has it all, yet gets nothing

Raichur district is a study in paradoxes. The Raichur rural constituency has produced three state ministers...

Raichur district is a study in paradoxes. The Raichur rural constituency has produced three state ministers, but the region remains one of the most backward in Karnataka. Two rivers bound the district to the North and the South, but 50 per cent of land remains drought-prone. The Raichur Thermal Power Station RTPS accounts for 40 per cent of the state8217;s power, but the district reels under power failures. And now, the man they had as their MP for three terms, Venkatesh Naik, has decided to contest as an MLA8212;from Deodurga assembly constituency in the district. At least here, the paradox is somewhat less grim: Naik is fighting his grandson.

The voters, apparently tired of this play of paradoxes, seem to have stayed out of the booths when this district in northeast Karnataka went to the polls on Friday. The Election Commission recorded only 47 per cent polling, while last year the figure was around 56 per cent.

Voters milled around voting booths but were undecided on exercising their franchise. S. Basavaraja, a farmer, said, 8220;Three MLAs have become ministers from this constituency, but we still face water and electricity problems.8221; These ministers are Sudhindra Kasbe of the Congress, a minister in the nineties but who is not contesting this year, Muniyappa Muddappa, who is contesting from Raichur city on an SP ticket; and Amreesh Naik of the Congress in 2004, who stayed out to give his son Raiappa a chance in Raichur rural.

But at least nobody can accuse Venkatesh Naik of forgetting his roots. This three-time Congress MP from Raichur has decided to fight the assembly election against his grandson Shivangouda Naik, who is contesting on a JDS ticket. On Thursday, things seemed bleak for Naik, with the Deodurga residents grumbling about Naik not doing enough for the region in the last 10 years that he was MP.

Then, the water problems. At a public meeting in Raichur earlier in May, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi had said that it was ironical that Raichur had two rivers8212;Krishna to the north and Tungabhadra to the south8212;but the area remained drought-prone. The district Congress8217;s excuse is, at best, weak. A senior leader said on condition of anonymity: 8220;There is a canal from Tungabhadra but some villages fall in the tail end of the canal and hence face problems.8221;

Power is another worry. Even with the thermal power station, which accounts for around 40 per cent of Karnataka8217;s power supply, Raichur suffers intermittent power cuts. E. Lingappa of Kolmala village, around 20 km from Raichur city, said, 8220;They told us the power was too heavy to be supplied directly and must therefore be routed to Gulbarga and then to us.8221; Another paradox.