Madikeri/ Mangaluru: Has the absence of JD(S) in Kodagu and Coastal districts denied the region of any budgetary benefits? This doubt has been raised by various sections of society as the budget has not given any specific project to Kodagu and Coastal districts of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada.

People feel that the concern which CM H.D. Kumaraswamy used to express about the problems of coffee and arecanut growers, fishermen and infrastructure before elections has failed to materialise as projects.

Kodagu, Dakshina Kannada and Udupi found no mention in the Budget that was presented yesterday. While residents of Kodagu were particularly hoping that the CM would announce measures to curb elephant, tiger and leopard menace, people of Dakshina Kannada were hoping for a special rain-damage package for that region that has seen extensive loss in infrastructure due to rain last month.

The denial of loan waiver to coffee growers has angered the people of Kodagu. Thousands of coffee growers are drowned in debt and unfortunately, this has not come to the notice of the CM, said Virajpet MLA K.G. Bopaiah. He said that while Kumaraswamy has gone out of his way to please Hassan, Mandya and Old Mysore regions, places like Kodagu and Dakshina Kannada have got a raw deal.

“Even former CM Siddharamaiah who is a self-proclaimed financial expert neglected Kodagu in his successive budgets and the same trend is being continued by Kumaraswamy,” Bopaiah said.

Somwarpet MLA Appachu Ranjan went a step ahead and said that Kumaraswamy has behaved as if he is the CM of Mandya, Mysuru and Hassan.

Kundapura MLA Haladi Srinivasa Shetty said that Kumaraswamy and his colleagues come to Dakshina Kannada to offer prayers but the same place did not get even a small share in the Budget. “You and your Ministers come to Dharmasthala, Udupi and Kukke Subramanya Temples to ward off troubles. But when it comes to budget, you have forgotten Dakshina Kannada,” Shetty asked the CM.