The Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha and Green Brigade have urged the State government to immediately release compensation at the rate of ₹25,000 per acre to the farmers suffering crop loss in the recent rains without waiting for Central assistance.
State president of the sangha and Green Brigade H.R. Basavarajappa said the rains had devastated crops on an estimated 9 lakh hectares across the State, causing a consolidated loss of around ₹5,000 crore. Even livestock had died in the rains that caused widespread crop devastation and collapse of houses.
People, who had lost their houses, were living in rented accommodation or were on the streets, he claimed while lamenting that the government was yet to pay compensation to the families whose houses had been damaged in last year’s rains. Compensation amounts had been paid only to the next of kin of the deceased persons, he said.
Instead of waiting for the Central aid, the State government should immediately release the compensation to the sufferring farmers, Mr. Basavarajappa said.
Privatisation of power supply
He also condemned the Centre’s proposal to privatise power supply by bringing in an amendment to the Electricity Act. Terming the proposal as a “death knell” of the farmers, Mr. Basavarajappa threatened that the farmers would launch an agitation if the government did not drop the move. The privatisation of power supply is feared to bring to an end supply of free electricity to the irrigation pumpsets of the farmers.
He also urged the State government to implement the Yashaswini Health Insurance Scheme that proposes to cover the medical expenditure of farmers through farmers’ co-operatives. Though the government has made an assurance in the regard, its implementation has been delayed, he regretted.
Mr. Basavarajappa also lamented that the State government had set aside only ₹300 crore for the health of farmers in the State Budget 2022 while it has earmarked ₹1,200 crore for the State Government employees. He urged the government to simplify the rules that were in place for cutting teak trees in their farmers and also demanded that the dairy farmers be paid ₹50 for every litre of milk.
Bagair Hukum land
Mr. Basavarajappa urged the government to take necessary steps to simplify the rules to grant cultivation rights on Bagair Hukum land so that a large number of farmers, who are waiting for the same, can be given the rights to cultivate on the lands that they had been tilling for years.
