Siddaramaiah slams Centre for permitting areca nut import from Bhutan


Bengaluru, Oct 7 (IANS): Karnataka's Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah on Thursday slammed the Central government's decision to import green areca nut from Bhutan, saying that due to the "ill-willed policy, the life of areca nut growers will be doomed".

The areca nut growers are already in distress because of various diseases attacking the crop and areca trees. During this difficult hour, the central government has betrayed them, he said.

The notification giving unconditional consent to the purchase of 17,000 metric tons of raw areca nut from Bhutan will prove costly and affect the livelihood of local areca nut growers, he said, adding that while the state areca nut farmers are agitating for a total ban on imports, the Centre has exhibited its "unilateral and arbitrary approach".

"The Union government, which has adopted an egoistic approach towards farmers, has not even laid down conditions for the specified minimum import price (MIP) and shown green signal for import of areca nut from Bhutan. The central government has also indicated more imports from different countries in future," Siddaramaiah said.

"I had warned when the Central government brought down excise tax on imported areca nuts and increased the GST on indigenous areca nuts. I had also prevailed upon the state government to make the Union government understand the situation of areca nut farmers. However, it is proved that the 'probationary' Chief Minister (Basavaraj Bommai) does not have capacity to talk to the Central government on farmers' woes," he added.

Noting that the farmers of Malnad (hilly) region have complained about the state and Central governments turning blind eye to their plight, he said that their worst fears have come true now, and the decision to import 17,000 tons of areca nut from Bhutan is the height of betrayal.

Siddaramaiah said that Home Miniister Araga Jnanendra, who heads the Task Force formed to look into the woes of areca nut farmers, is maintaining that imports will have no bearing. "The government and the Home Minister do not have common sense that these things won't solve the crisis of farmers," he said.

He also noted that the BJP's Karnataka President, national and state General Secretaries hail from regions where areca nut farming is taken up on large scale, but have not responded and the MLAs and MPs of the districts where the crop is grown are also tightlipped.

All are colluding to write the death warrant of areca nut farmers, Siddaramaiah alleged, demanding that the consent given to imports from Bhutan must be immediately reversed, GST on areca nuts reduced, and the state government should exert pressure on the Centre in this regard.

 

 

 

 

  

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Comment on this article

  • Jossey saldanha, Newyork

    Sat, Oct 08 2022

    Mind your own Business

    DisAgree Agree [1] Reply Report Abuse

  • Pram, Mangalore

    Sat, Oct 08 2022

    This is a very cruel move by the center , andh bakths wake up..., All the areca nut will suicide and will die ..., This government never help our people, they only making money for themselves, let it be importing pepper, or aracanut , our bank Vijaya which was in profit merged will loss Bank of Baroda..., Mangalore people are kept busy in religious politics, so that BJP can keep looting

    DisAgree [2] Agree Reply Report Abuse

  • Mohit, Mangalore

    Fri, Oct 07 2022

    Ultimate lie from Nidde. Infact his statement has opened up eyes and has given an idea to start such business. Really appreciate this guy. Just for power at this age he can continuously make comments non stop. Salute you sir.

    DisAgree [11] Agree [1] Reply Report Abuse

  • pks, mlr

    Fri, Oct 07 2022

    No. 1 liar

    DisAgree [12] Agree [4] Reply Report Abuse

  • Pavan, Mlr

    Fri, Oct 07 2022

    Bjpee helping ADANI to enter in this business also..

    DisAgree [6] Agree [11] Reply Report Abuse


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Title: Siddaramaiah slams Centre for permitting areca nut import from Bhutan



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