Farmers from State to converge at Delhi for rally on October 2

Members of Rajya Raitha Sanghatanegala Okoota and Rajya Kabbu Belegaarara Sangha have planned to take part in a huge rally organised by the Consortium of Indian Farmers Association (CIFA) and Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) from Vijay Ghat to Parliament in New Delhi on October 2.

Addressing a media conference here on Wednesday, president of the Okoota and Sangha Kuruburu Shanthakumar said that lakhs of farmers from across the nation are expected to converge at Vijay Ghat, on October 2, which also marks the birth anniversary of the late prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri.

“We are putting forward our long-pending demands before the Union government and giving them a deadline of one month to fulfil it. If the demands are not met, we will take our protests to the next level,” he said.

He added, “The demands are waiver of farm loans, scientific price for crops based on the recommendations of M S Swaminathan committee, steps for payment of arrears to sugar cane growers from sugar factories, presentation of a separate agriculture budget, change in guidelines for crop insurance, change in guidelines for issuance of farm loans, consideration of the market value of the anticipated crop and issuance of 75 per cent of its value as loan to farmers, etc.”

The government is getting crores of rupees as revenue from the agriculture sector, so, waiving of the farm loans would not be a burden on the Centre, Shanthakumar said.

“The government gets Rs 45,000 crore annually from sugar cane alone, Rs 40,000 crore from cotton, Rs 25,000 crore from spices and thousands of crores from various other crops.

In fact, it is the responsibility of the government to pay back the farmers at the hour of crisis,” he said.

Farmers are in the dire straits due to drought, power crisis, and other problems. In Maharashtra, film actors like Akshay Kumar and Nana Patekar have been extending financial help to suffering farmers.

But, film stars and industrialists are enjoying in their own worlds in Karnataka. Recently, a few actors went to Hubballi to support the cause of water. However, it was a jolly trip for most of the stars, Shanthakumar said.

Pointing out that the State government is dillydallying the resumption of operations at Srirama Sugar factory in KR Nagar taluk, he suspected that the ministers are conspiring to privatise the factory.

Leaders Athahalli Devaraj, G V Lakshmi Devi, Venkatesh, Krishnegowda and P M Parameshwaraiah were present in the press conference.