Calamity-hit Kodagu pins high hopes on state budget

Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa will present State Budget on March 5 and the people in Kodagu are expecting a bonanza for the district.

During the coalition government in the state, the then chief minister H D Kumaraswamy had announced a few proposals to the coffee land and thereby had tried to win the hearts of the people.

The two BJP MLAs from the district have already submitted a list of basic facilities that require grant in the budget. The district requires a special package to rebuild the lives of natural calamity victims.

The district was hit by natural calamity in 2018 and also in 2019. Only 33 victims of heavy rain in 2018 have received houses. The rain victims of last year, who are still waiting for sites, are in the doldrums. The natural calamity victims are expecting a few projects for their welfare in the budget.

In the pre-budget consultation meeting, coffee growers had impressed upon the chief minister on the need to solve their problems. They have demanded free electricity for pumpsets up to 10hp, complete waiver of loans borrowed by coffee growers, compensation for damage to coffee plantations hit by landslides and so on. The growers are expecting the fulfillment of at least a few demands in the budget.

Further, 35,000 labourers, who are working in coffee plantations, are shelterless in the district. The shelterless at Balagodu are already staging a protest demanding a roof over their head. The labourers are expecting announcement on providing either house or site in the budget.

The natural calamity that hit the district has also badly affected tourism in the region. The budget is expected to announce new projects to give a fillip to the tourism. There are possibilities of announcing Cauvery rejuvenation programme and river bank protection projects in the budget.

“New taluks of Kushalnagar and Ponnampet have not received any benefits. We
have appealed to the government to announce grants for development works in the newly carved taluks,” activists of taluk associations said.

In 2018-19 budget, Siddaramaiah had announced promotion of cultivation of exotic fruits like Passion fruit, Rambutan, Durian, Dragon, Licchi, Butterfruit, Strawberry, Custard Apple and others, which has not been materialised so far.

Seeking additional grants, MLA K G Bopaiah has written a letter to the chief minister. The MLA has sought Rs 100-crore special package for the development of roads in the district.

Bopaiah has also sought Rs 1 cr for construction of outdoor stadium at Gonikoppa,
Rs 1 cr for sports meets, Rs 25 crore for laying fences made out of train tracks, Rs 15 crore for the construction of Bhavans (community halls) of Kodava, Arebhashe, Okkaliga Billava, Bunts and other communities and free electricity for growers using pumpsets up to 10hp.