State govt has no concern for farmers: Kota Srinivas

Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council, Kota Srinivas Poojary said that the state government does not have any concern for the farmers.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, he said that even after six months of coming to power, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy has failed to waive the loans borrowed by farmers. In spite of the promise of waiving of Rs 53,000 crores, the state budget had earmarked only 6,000 crores for the purpose, accused Poojary.

He said Kumaraswamy in the past had demanded Rs 10,000 per coconut tree damaged in the natural calamity. However, now the government is paying a compensation of Rs 400 per tree.

In Kadur taluk, 14,573 hectares of coconut and 832 hectares of arecanut crops have been damaged. In spite of this, the loan waiver scheme has not made any progress in Kadur, he added.

He further said that BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa has constituted five teams to study drought in the state. Accordingly, a team is conducting a survey in Arasikere and Kadur. A detailed report will be submitted within two days.

The state government should issue debt-free certificates to all the farmers before the commencement of the Assembly session. If the government fails to issue the certificate, then, around 1 lakh farmers will stage a protest in front of Suvarna Soudha, he warned.

Kota Srinivas Poojary and team visited the drought-affected coconut groves at Huligere, K Bidare, Singatagere. The team also collected information from the Agriculture and Horticulture Department officials.