'Govt failed to compensate deceased farmers' families'

Former chief minister Siddaramaiah said that it was wrong on the part of the state government for failing to distribute compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the family of the farmer who committed suicide in Kalasa.

The deceased farmer’s wife should be paid a monthly pension of Rs 2,000 as per the law passed by the previous Congress government. Unfortunately, the government has not paid the compensation even after 20 days of Channappa Gowda committing suicide at Karagadde in Kalasa.

Siddaramaiah had visited the house of Chandre Gowda at S K Megal and Channappa Gowda at Karagadde in Kalasa Hobli on Saturday and consoled the family members.

He handed over Rs 50,000 to each family from his pocket. Even after two farmers committed suicide in the Hobli District In-charge Minister C T Ravi had failed to meet the families.

Hundreds of acres of farmland have been damaged in Kalasa taluk following flood and landslides that wreaked havoc in the district. Unfortunately, the revenue department failed to distribute compensation for the victims, alleged victims.

Though the state government sought Rs 38,000 crore from the Centre to take up relief works, the Centre announced only an advance release of Rs 1,200 crore from the National Disaster Relief Fund (NDRF) to Karnataka. The Centre should have announced an interim compensation of Rs 5,000 crore from the NDRF.

Further, he said, “The state government has called only two days of session. The government is behaving irresponsibly. Those who criticise the government are termed as anti-nationals and cases are booked against them.

Farmers air grievances

Farmers aired their grievances before Siddaramaiah during his visit to Kalasa.

During his visit to the house of deceased farmer Chandre Gowda at S K Megal, the farmers said, “1,085 acres of land on survey number 252 in Samse village has been documented as Deemed Forest. As a result, hundreds of farmers who have taken up farming in the said land are not sanctioned land.”

When Siddaramaiah visited the house of deceased farmer Channappa Gowda at Karagadde, the local residents said that the row over Inam land has pushed hundreds of farmers to hardship.