The Federation of Karnataka Farmers’ Associations has threatened to hold road blockades across Mysuru district on Vijayadashami Day on October 24 in protest against the State government on various issues including denial of sufficient power supply to irrigation pumpsets and release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu.
Addressing a press conference in T. Narsipura near here on Saturday, federation president Kurubur Shanthakumar referred to the Congress party’s promise in the pre poll manifesto to provide 10 hours of power supply to the farmers. But, now the government had stated that it can provide electricity only for five hours, he lamented.
While providing farmers electricity only for five hours, the government was assuring 24-hour power supply to the industries. The government was discriminating against the farmers by restricting power supply to just five hours, he alleged.
Referring to the failure of monsoon rains in the State, Mr. Shanthakumar said the State government was releasing water to Tamil Nadu instead of releasing the same to the farmers of Cauvery basin area and facilitating them to grow crops.
Dasara
Though the government said it would celebrate Dasara in a simple manner, Mysuru roads have been generously illuminated with bright and radiant lights, he said.
The government, which does not have enough power to supply to the farmers, is lavishing electricity to celebrate Dasara, thereby ignoring the suffering of the farmers, alleged Mr. Shanthakumar.
Hence, he has called upon the farmers of Mysuru district to observe a black day on October 24 by blocking the roads in their respective villages and draw the attention of the government to their plight.
Mr. Shanthakumar, who also heads the Karnataka State Sugarcane Farmers’ Association, brought up the issue of sugarcane prices and said Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) of ₹3,150 per tonne fixed by the Centre for the sugarcane was much below the cost of production, which was around ₹3,580 per tonne.
The FRP was unremunerative as the Centre had increase the recovery rate from the earlier 8.5 per cent to 10.25 per cent, he said.
He called upon the farmers in the villages to set aside their political differences and unitedly join the struggle.
