From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Mar 12: Squarely blaming both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai for the miserable plight of farmers in the State and also in the country, Congress opposition leader Siddaramaiah said both the BJP leaders must sit with leaders and representatives of farmer organizations to understand their plight and take immediate steps to solve their problems.
The former Congress chief minister said Modi, who is visiting Mandya and Mysuru districts during his pre-election tours of the State, should find out the problems of farmers of the region in the Cauvery belt with farmers suffering due to unremunerative prices for their farm produce even as fertilizers, seeds, and all other essentials of agriculture have zoomed beyond control.
"Modi can at least discuss with the farmers of Mandya and Mysuru regions and also media persons to understand the hard reality," he said taunting the Prime Minister he never listens to anybody but only believes in lecturing.
Criticizing the Prime Minister for always talking about the ancient Indian culture and traditions, Siddaramaiah said the dialogue between the teacher and the taught is part of the culture but Modi never follows the dictates of Upanishat and is always busy preaching.
Deploring Modi's non-response or replies to his previous series of questions, Siddaramaiah on Sunday released the 8th set of 11 questions and hoped that he would give answers to these and the previous 7 sets of questions.
The Congress leader informed the Prime Minister that farmers of Mandya, Mysuru, and Chamarajanagar districts were growing turmeric in different parts of the district. According to the government's own Horticultural department's calculations, farmers have to spend at least Rs 143,325 for growing turmeric on one acre of land while the State Turmeric Growers' Federation says the cost is Rs 2.83 lakh per acre. As per Dr Swaminathan commission's report, the farmers must get double the price of their cost.
With one acre of turmeric cultivation yielding an average of 24 quintals and the farmers can survive only if they are able to earn Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000 per quintal. However, the prices have fallen to a low of Rs 6,000 per quintal. The farmers are suffering as the turmeric is not purchased under Market Support Price Mechanism. The government's "one district, one crop" policy is causing untold hardships.
He blamed Modi for amending the APMC Act to help his crony capitalist friends like Adanis, Ambanis, and Dharmanis. Even though the Centre was forced to withdraw the farm laws, BJP ruled states like Karnataka are continuing the legislations. The government should help the farmers, he said.
The copra prices have crashed from Rs 18,000 to Rs 20,000 per quintal to a low of Rs 9,000 and the coconut growers in Karnataka are suffering. Similarly, the areca nut growers are also under grave distress even as the Modi government is importing 65,000 tonnes of arecanut. The prices have crashed to a low of Rs 40,000 per quintal from Rs 60,000 per quintal just a few months back.
'Are BJP leaders permitted to hoard huge cash?'
Referring to the seizure of over Rs 8 crore cash in the residences of BJP MLA Virupakshappa Madal and his son and associates, Siddaramaiah wondered how this areca nut grower, by his own admission, is able to amass so much ill-gotten money. If a ruling party MLA is caught with over Rs 8 crore cash, what is the total wealth amassed by all the BJP leaders? Is this part of the 40% commission loot, he said and wondered what the central agencies like CBI and ED are doing in the face of such large-scale corruption.
Siddaramaiah referred to Virupakshappa’s claim that it is common for areca nut growers to keep huge sums of money and asked the Prime Minister to explain if BJP leaders alone are permitted to keep so much cash at home. What are the investigating agencies like CBI and ED doing, he asked.
The Congress leader said the pepper, onion growers and sugarcane cultivators were suffering due to the sharp fall in prices. Karnataka, which used to be surplus in milk production all these years, has suddenly faced a shortage of milk due to wrong policies of the BJP to benefit the corporate sector cronies of the ruling party.
With farmers, working classes, youth, small-scale industrialists, and small traders suffering, Siddaramaiah said it was shameful that the Prime Minister is going about talking and preaching. The government should first solve the problems of the farmers, Dalits, women, and small and medium industrialists, and then visit the state seeking votes, he added.