An arid region with potential that is yet to be tapped
The Hindu
This election will be a litmus test for Puthiya Thamizhagam’s K. Krishnasamy
Within a short span of just one-and-a-half year, the dry Ottapidaaram (Reserved) constituency that witnessed a by-poll following the disqualification of its sitting MLA Sundararajan, is all set to witness an Assembly election. Though this region has been the birth place of warriors like V. O. Chidambaram, Veerapandia Kattabomman and Sundaralingam, it is still battling to get its due share of better basic amenities. No river flows here and neither does any irrigation channel, originating from the Tamirabharani, criss-cross the rain-shadow Ottapidaaram region that houses huge number of farmhands.The Shakti Scheme in Karnataka has completed its first year, yet the smart cards intended for the beneficiaries remain undistributed. According to Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy, while the smart cards have been prepared, their issuance has been stalled due to the absence of electronic ticketing machines (ETMs) in all buses, making them impractical.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly R. Ashok were engaged in war of words over the Lok Sabha election results on Tuesday, with the former calling the latter “ignorant and entertaining people”. In response, Mr. Ashok said the Chief Minister “sometimes wakes up from deep slumber to exhibit his arrogance and anger”.