Farmers Movement Archive

K’taka govt aims to double farmers’ income: CM

Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday said that the state government will form two committees and a second directorate for agriculture to supplement efforts in fulfilling Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of doubling farmers’ income. The Karnataka government has set itself a deadline between 2023-24 to achieve this feat by implementing the new changes and schemes. “Karnataka is taking a lot of interest in this and wants to be the first to achieve doubling farmers’ income,” Bommai said. He added that the state will set up two committees, one involving farmers, and the other with the help of agricultural universities to help implement the programmes. A team, led by Ashok Dalwai, chief executive of the National Rainfed Area Authority (NRAA), and an empowered body of the DFI (doubling farmers’ income), and others from the Union ministry of agriculture and farmers welfare met CM Bommai and other cabinet ministers of the state and made a presentation on the Centre’s strategy for doubling farmers income. The developments come even as farmers in the state have been struggling with the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and extreme weather conditions, oscillating between droughts and floods, plummeting prices of the products and other factors that have adversely affected the income of the agricultural community in the state and other parts of the country. Bommai said that a second directorate involving sericulture, horticulture, agriculture, fisheries, dairy and animal husbandry among others would be formed to aid efforts. The secondary directorate would help in the marketing and sale of agro-based products and value additions, he said. On Wednesday, Bommai met agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar in New Delhi, where the Karnataka chief minister arrived this afternoon. The Prime Minister’s grand DFI schemes have come under sharp criticism as the farmers in north India and several parts of Karnataka continue to oppose the contentious farm laws. In Karnataka, farmers are yet to receive relief for floods, droughts or damaged property from the government, according to the farmer leaders and political opposition. Kodihalli Chandrashekar, the president of the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha, on Wednesday, said that he will be travelling to all parts of the state to discuss and understand the problems of farmers and convey them to the government. “If the government fails, we will come to the streets to protest,” he said. Chandrashekar said that he asked the chief minister to speak to farmers on the issue, but the latter appears to be only in some celebratory mood since taking over the top job.

Hindustan Times

26-08-2021

India