Under the aegis of Sericulture Welfare Board, the members took out a rally from Chitravathi to the deputy commissioner’s office. The protestors vented their ire saying that policies, which were unfriendly to the growers, were being implemented and shouted slogans against the Centre and State governments.
The protesters demanded to revoke a Central Act of 2008 which virtually nullified the 1959 Act, thus leading to ruin of sericulture as an industry and also the growers. Smuggling of silk through Nepal and Bangla should be stopped.
A subsidy at 100 pc should be provided on the drip irrigation used by the sericulturist. A subsiduy at 50 per cent should also be provided to the sheds constructed rare silk worms. Research in the field should be encourage, were their main demands. The protesters also demanded for a special grants to be released considering Kolar and Chikkaballapur districts as a seperate sericulture zone.
A memorandum was submitted to Deputy CommissinoAnwar Pasha. Responding to this DC said that he was ready to fulfil all their that was possible under his limits. The memorandum will be sent to the Union government for the fulfilment of rest of their demands, he promised. Legislators K P Bache Gowda, V Muniyappa, ZP President Vinuta Srinivas, KPCC Member Dr K Sudhakar Reddy, N Ramesh, KMF Director K V Nagaraj, JD(S) District Unit President Rajanna and others were present.
