Opposing the appointment of a political person as chairperson of the Karnataka Agricultural Price Commission, members of the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) have demanded that the government nominate a technical expert as the head of the commission.
The government recently appointed Hanumana Gowda Belagurki as chairperson. The body was earlier headed by T.N. Prakash Kammaradi.
Addressing presspersons here on Saturday, KRRS State president Kodihalli Chandrashekar said it is essential that a technical person should head the commission as minimum support price for crops is fixed on the basis of the commission’s reports, both by the State and Centre.
The main purpose of constituting the Commission in 2013 was to fix suitable prices for the produce of farmers.
“Farmers are always facing problems due to indeterminate prices for their produce and most of the time they do not even get back the costs incurred. We had suggested the commission should comprise farmers, agriculture experts and agro-economists so that the government can fix suitable prices based on the scientifically worked out recommendations of the commission,” he said.
“It is unfortunate that an expert, who headed the Commission earlier, has been replaced with a political person. We demand that the government should appoint a technical expert as chairperson of he Commission with immediate effect. We will soon submit a memorandum in this regard to Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa,” Mr Chandrashekar added.
