The Karnataka Uttar Pranta wing of the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh has urged Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar to initiate steps to help farmers reeling under drought.
A delegation of the sangh’s office-bearers met Mr. Shettar in Hubli on Friday, and submitted a memorandum.
They informed the Chief Minister that the memorandum had been prepared based on the interactions Gopal Diwate, secretary of the sangh’s Hubli wing, had with farmers during his 1,500 km tour of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra on bicycle.
Bicycle tour
Mr. Diwate’s tour begun on July 25 from Hubli. He visited Bagalkot, Bijapur, Solapur, Gulbarga, Hyderabad, Kurnool, Raichur, Koppal and Gadag before returning to Hubli on August 14.
Measures proposed
In the memorandum, they urged Mr. Shettar to take steps to set up goshalas, wherever necessary, and ensure availability of drinking water. They also urged him to increase the loan waiver ceiling to Rs. 50,000, waive pending electricity bills of irrigation pump set users and take steps to desilt tanks. They also asked him to release the crop loss compensation, give priority to irrigation after drinking water, and wanted the Union government to declare drought as a national calamity.
Office-bearers of the sangh’s north Karnataka wing Somanna Harlapur, Mohan Enagi, Jayaram B., Vivek Morey, H.V. Konnaru, Sangappa Sangori and Mr. Diwate were part of the delegation.
