JOIN USMinisters' apathy irks silk growers
Union Minister for Corporate Affairs M Veerappa Moily represents Chikkaballapur while Minister of State for Railways, K H Muniyappa has been elected from Kolar.
According to silk growers, the Union government has adopted a “hard stance” towards them. While the Union government had promised to look into their issue, the recent statement of Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee that the demands cannot be met, has left the silk growers in the lurch.
“We took a delegation to the Centre hoping that the government won’t disappoint us. We also believed the promises made by Veerappa Moily and Muniyappa. But the volte-face by the government has closed all doors,” silk growers rue.
District Silk Growers’ Welfare Forum president Mallur Shivanna said the Union government had prepared proposals to hike the import duty on silk to 15 per cent and 30 per cent respectively. “The process was in final stage. The government backtracked due lobbying from some quarters at the last minute. Neither Moily nor Muniyappa are giving clear answers,” he said. Shivanna said no elected representative was ready to give a patient hearing to the woes of silk growers.
Resentment
The resentment over the stance adopted by the Union government and the “lukewarm” response of the elected representatives is widespread. Byregowda, a leader of Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha said the Union government had not realised the gravity the problem despite umpteen protests and jathas by silk growers. He said lakhs of families were dependent on sericulture in Chikkaballapur, Kolar, Ramanagar, Mandya, Mysore, Chamarajnagar, Tumkur, Bangalore Urban and Rural districts. “What more should we do to draw the attention of the government to our plight,” he questioned in exasperation.
However, silk growers have planned a “Delhi chalo” in December again to demand Union government meet their demands.
Halting import of duty free silk, increasing the import duty to 31 per cent are some of their demands. Farmers leader said the growers would camp in Delhi till their demands are met.