Farmers in the region have come out with a 25-point wish list for inclusion in the State budget.
This includes a demand to curb the practice of acquiring agricultural land for industrial purposes by the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) besides taking over the land belonging to sick industries and reallocation of the same to new entrepreneurs to start their venture.
The wish list has been brought out by the State Sugarcane Cultivators’ Association which has urged the government to ensure income and social security for farmers and prevent them from taking recourse to suicides to escape the tyranny of the market.
Kurubur Shanthakumar, State president of the association told The Hindu that they want the State government to increase allocation for the agriculture sector to Rs. 40,000 crore.
Drawing attention to the recommendations of Dr. Rangarajan Committee report, Mr. Shanthakumar said the government should abolish the rule banning opening of new sugar factories in a 25-km radius of an existing sugar mill.
Dubbing the present system of calculating the minimum procurement price for a crop as unscientific, the association demanded additional support price from the State government to help the farmers. The additional support price would not be required if the government adopted the recommendations of Dr. Swaminathan Committee report on price fixation.
The association said a rule should be brought to take over or nationalises such private sugar mills found to repeatedly default in clearing arrears due to the sugarcane farmers.
The present practice of releasing Rs. 3,000 per acre in case of sugarcane damaged due to natural conditions was dubbed as unscientific and the association wanted the government to compensate the farmers for the actual loss incurred by them.
A key demand of the farmers – being aired since many years – is a pension policy for the agricultural workers and farmers. “All farmers aged above 60 should be eligible for State pension as a social security measure,” said the association.
Referring to the constitution of the agricultural price commission, Mr. Shanthakumar said, the body should have farmers as representatives.
