MLA U T Khader has flayed the Chief Minister for not making any budgetary allocations for the areca farmers of the district who have incurred loss worth Rs 175 crore due to the fruit rot disease during the last rainy season.

 

Speaking to media persons on Thursday, Khader said that the Chief Minister who despite being a farmer has shown negligence towards the areca farmers of the district who have incurred great loss because of the areca plant disease. Though the Horticulture Department has recommended the government to sanction special package for the affected farmers, the government has failed to support the farmers, he said. 

“When I raised the issue in the assembly on Wednesday, Chikmagalur MLAs C T Ravi and Jeevaraj purposefully distracted the issue by raising their voice in support of the areca farmers affected by yellow leaf disease in Chikmagalur district. They meddled both the issues which led to the suppression of the fruit rot disease issue and the CM’s concentration was drawn to yellow leaf disease. The CM said that a delegation would go to Delhi to discuss the yellow leaf disease issue which is not justifiable,” alleged the MLA.

Further, he criticised the government for amending the loan scheme for the farmers in this budget. Last year the loans were given to the farmers up to Rs three lakh at one per cent interest rate, where as, this year, the CM has announced of providing loan up to Rs one lakh without any interest rate. To what extent is this new scheme feasible? Is it possible for a farmer to carry out agriculture activities using Rs one lakh, he asked and urged the government to extend the loan repaying term to one more year.

Puttur Block Congress President Bondala Jagannath Shetty informed that the government has failed to provide compensation to 53 farmers of Kayyur in Puttur taluk who incurred loss up to Rs 21.75 lakh due to heavy wind.