Govt to bear fertilisers transportation cost: Savadi

Speaking at the 58th All India Cooperative Week and golden jubilee celebration of Kodagu district Cooperative union organised jointly by Karnataka Apex Bank, District Cooperative Union, District Cooperative Central Bank, Hassan Milk Federation at Kodava Samaja on Saturday, he said if the state government bears the transportation cost, then farmers will get fertilisers at MRP rate. He said it has been proposed to provide Rs 7,000 crore agriculture loan to 25 lakh farmers at the rate of one per cent interest through cooperative societies.

Last year, Rs 4,700 crore was given to 13 lakh frmers at the rate of three per cent interest. The cooperative sector will be stregnthened.

Revive

Assembly Speaker K G Bopaiah urged the cooperative department to revive Coffee Growers Cooperative Society which is in trouble.

He said the society was started in 1956 to protect the interest of the coffee growers in Kodagu. Though the Society was functioning well in the beginning, it incurred loss after the change in the policy in 1995.

 Though the government was urged to revive the society, no action has been taken so far. The officials have been stating that coffee does not come under agriculture produce.

“Coffee iS main crop in Kodagu. In the interest of the coffee growers, efforts should be made to revive the society. A sum of Rs 774 crore has been released to revive cooperative sector. The Kodagu Coffee Growers Society has incurred a loss of Rs 14.36 crore as on March 31, 2011,” he said.

Misuse

MLC M C Nanaiah alleged that Belgaum Sauharda Bank President has raised donation and has produced a Kannada movie.

The loan from Sauharda and Cooperative Bank are misused by the bank board of directors. Kanthiveera Sangolli Rayanna Credit Sauharda Cooperative Bank President has produced ‘Kranthiveera Sangolli Rayanna’ movie. There is a need to initiate action against him.

“The government’s interference on cooperative sector should be minimised. The government nomination should be stopped,” he added.

MLA Appacchu Ranjan said the district cooperative bank has disbursed Rs 100 crore loan. There are 56000 Yashaswini members in the district.

Karnataka Apex Bank President G T Deve Gowda also spoke. Zilla Panchayat President Ravi Kushalappa, Deputy Commissioner Dr N V Prasad and others were present.