JOIN USOpposition leader H D Kumaraswamy ridiculed the department of Animal Husbandry and threatened to launch a protest against the State government’s “half-hearted” measures in announcing compensation to the farmers who have lost their cattle to the foot and mouth disease.
Speaking with mediapersons, here on Friday, he said the government was “cheating” farmers by claiming that it will pay a compensation of Rs 25,000 per every death of a bovine.
As per the Centre’s directives only Rs 16,400 can be disbursed under the Natural Calamity Disaster Fund, for the death of a milching cow or a buffalo. Whereas, the State Cabinet meeting on Friday had decided to pay Rs 25,000.
Kumaraswamy said that even if the Government decides to pay Rs 25,000, it was still a meagre amount and might not suffice as relief to the farmers, as the cattle are highly priced. “In the next 10 days, if it fails to dispense whatever the compensation amount is, then the JD(S) will embark on a padayatra from Ramanagara to Bangalore,” he added. Kumaraswamy also ridiculed the department of Animal Husbandry over discrepancies in calculating the number of cattle deaths. “On October 9 the department had quoted 2,396 cattle deaths. Within 24 hours the numbers were revised and were shown as 2,210 deaths.”
Speaking about alleged corruption in officials’ transfers, the Opposition leader said: “The officials are complaining that they are paying at least Rs 50 lakh for transfers.