CM should visit distressed farmers, not disgruntled MLAs, says BJP leader

Belagavi: Chief Minister D K Shivakumar should visit the fields and homes of distressed farmers instead of meeting disgruntled legislators, said N. Ravikumar, Chief Whip of the Opposition in the Legislative Council.

Addressing reporters in Belagavi, Ravikumar said farmers in several parts of the state were facing severe crop losses and financial distress, but the government was yet to officially declare drought.

“Farmers are in such distress that they are saying they would rather die than continue suffering if the government does not come to their rescue,” he said, urging the government to immediately declare drought and provide compensation of Rs 50,000 per acre.

Ravikumar said a special package should also be announced to protect farmers who had taken land on lease for cultivation. He said a BJP team had inspected drought conditions in four taluks of Belagavi district and found the situation far from satisfactory. In Yaragatti and Soppadla, the team inspected green gram, cotton and maize crops. Green gram farmers had suffered particularly heavy losses, he said.

“Farmers who normally harvest eight to 12 quintals are struggling to get even 12 kg this year,” Ravikumar claimed. He said sheep and cattle were facing drinking-water shortages in Ramdurg and questioned why water had not reached Chandaragi lake despite expenditure on the project.

He also alleged that the Salapur lift irrigation project had not become operational and had failed to benefit more than 60 villages.

Ravikumar said groundnut crops in Katakol had been completely damaged and questioned the government’s claim that the region had received around 90% of its expected rainfall. “If drought is not declared immediately, we will raise the issue both inside and outside the Assembly. We will fight for farmers’ rights and will not allow the government to ignore their problems,” he warned.

He also alleged irregularities in the selection of ministers and claimed Karnataka had been reduced to an “ATM” for the Congress. He further defended BJP state president B.Y. Vijayendra’s absence from the JD(S)-BJP padayatra, saying he had prior commitments in Shivamogga.