Southern States - Karnataka   

Farmers to lay siege to Vidhana Soudha

By Our Staff Correspondent

Mysore March 5. Farmers from Mysore and Chamarajanagar districts will lay siege to Vidhana Soudha on March 11 urging the Government to waive the interest on agricultural loans taken by them.

They will participate in a rally near Vidhana Soudha demanding that the Government withdraw its "anti-farmer" policies.

Disclosing this to presspersons here today, Mallesh of the Mysore-Chamarajanagar Jilla Raitha Hitarakshana Samithi said farmers of the region were facing difficulties because of drought.

The Government had ignored their pleas to save the standing crops and released water to Tamil Nadu from the Kabini Reservoir.

The Government should come to the rescue of farmers now by waiving the interest on crop loans taken by them.

Mr. Mallesh said the Government should direct the financial institutions to stop their loan recovery drive.

Farmers would gather at the Jekkarayanakere Ground in Bangalore and take out a procession to Vidhana Soudha, he added.

Kurubur Shantakumar, Convenor of the Irrigation Pumpset Users' Association, said the Government should withdraw its "anti-farmer" policies such as recovery of electricity bill arrears from farmers using irrigation pumpsets and fixing meters to pumpsets.

Mr. Mallesh and Mr. Shantakumar demanded that the KPTCL ensure uninterrupted power supply for 15 hours a day to irrigation pumpsets.

The Government should take steps to release compensation to farmers under the crop insurance scheme in the wake of crop failure.

It should give priority to complete work on the Kabini Second Stage Project, they said.

They said the Kabini Second Stage and Moolehole Irrigation projects, if completed, would help farmers of Chamarajanagar, Gundlupet, Kollegal, Yellandur, and Nanjangud taluks.

Though over Rs. 50,000 crore had been spent on major irrigation projects since Independence, the agricultural land covered by them was less than the area covered by irrigation pumpsets.

Yet, the Government was harassing irrigation pumpset owners. They urged the Chief Minister, S.M.Krishna, to announce policies favouring farmers in the Budget.

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