A day of sowing and vowing for H.D. Kumaraswamy

August 11, 2018 11:27 pm | Updated 11:27 pm IST - Seethapura (Mandya district)

Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy inaugurating a paddy seedling transplantation programme at Seethapura in Pandavapura taluk of Mandya district on Saturday.

Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy inaugurating a paddy seedling transplantation programme at Seethapura in Pandavapura taluk of Mandya district on Saturday.

Amid much hype and hoopla, Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Saturday sought to refurbish his image as the son of the soil by transplanting seedlings in the slushy paddy fields at Seethapura in Pandavapura taluk of Mandya district, a strong support base for the Janata Dal (Secular).

The event, organised by party leaders, especially Minor Irrigation Minister C.S. Puttaraju, had Mr. Kumaraswamy transplanting a few saplings, after which a group of agricultural labourers took over. As many as 150 women labourers, around 40 men, and 12 pairs of oxen were used to plough the fields and transplant the seedlings.

Addressing the gathering, Mr. Kumaraswamy said he would launch a programme under which he would spend one day in a month with farmers in all districts. “I will hold such 30 programmes across the State in 30 months. I will also visit or stay with villagers in their hamlets for a full day in every district,” he said.

He said the government would give “good news” to the people by Ganesha Chathurti festival, but sought some time to solve the problems of farmers and all citizens in general.

Mr. Kumaraswamy appealed to farmers not to commit suicide. He also ensured the revival of Mysugar mill and the Pandavapura Sahakari Sakkare Kharkhane sugar mill.

The women labourers said they had arrived from Seethapura, Aralakuppe and other villages and their wages were fixed between ₹300 and ₹400, depending on the work assigned during the programme. The area was beautified and food was provided to the workers. Giant LED screens were erected and over 100 folk artistes were used. Hydraulic cranes were used to record the programme.

Ministers S.R. Mahesh and C.S. Puttaraju and MLAs and MLCs from the region were present. Later, Mr. Kumaraswamy visited the Krishnaraja Sagar with Adichunchanagiri Mutt seer Nirmalananda Natha Swami and inspected the water level.

Long wait and no toilets

The programme, originally scheduled to begin at 11 a.m., commenced at 1.50 p.m. as the Chief Minister arrived late.

The women workers present said the long wait and non-availability of toilets had posed a big problem for them. A JD(S) leader admitted this and said, “We will keep this in mind during the next programmes.”

Ridiculous, says BSY

Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly B.S. Yeddyurappa came down heavily on the CM’s programme in Mandya, terming it “ridiculous.”

He said Mr. Kumaraswamy should instead work towards standing with farmers in the true sense with policies in their favour. “Farmer suicides continue to be reported in the State even after the government announced loan waiver. There is no clarity on either loan waiver or on how the government is bearing the cost,” he said, demanding that the government publish a white paper on the financial position of the State.

Some leaders of the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha also criticised the programme, calling it a waste of money and resources.

Mr. Kumaraswamy dismissed the criticism levelled against him. “Their criticism shows the respect they have for farmers,” he said.

He said he was not participating in the paddy seedling transplantation exercise for the sake of publicity, but was doing so to instil confidence among farmers who have not been able to properly take up paddy cultivation in the past three or four years.

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