: Is the State government awaiting the Union’s aid to provide compensation to distressed coconut growers from the State on the lines of the Kerala model?
Minister for Horticulture and Agriculture Marketing Shamanur Shivashankarappa told reporters here on Sunday that compensation of Rs. 44,000 had been fixed for loss of coconut crop in one hectare (ha) of land.
When asked whether the State had plans of providing relief to each coconut tree damaged due to disease or drought as was being done in Kerala, the Minister sought a reply from senior officials of his department who were present here in connection with a meeting convened by Mr. Shivashankarappa to review the progress made by the district in horticulture.
One of the officials disclosed that a proposal had been sent to the Union Ministry of Agriculture during the previous government’s tenure at the Centre seeking Rs. 320 crore to compensate the loss incurred by the State’s coconut growers. But, so far there has been no reply from the Ministry, the official said.
However, the Minister said the compensation, as fixed by the State, will continue.
On the delay in opening the flower market built under National Horticulture Mission at the APMC market here, an official from the department said the market was ready for occupancy and stalls had been allotted but the traders, who were at present running their wholesale flower business at the Devaraja Market, were reluctant to relocate.
The stalls were built with an aim to develop commercial floriculture in the Mysore region.
