‘Centre, State government have failed to address farmers’ woes’

Referring to the State budget presented by Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa and the recently-amended laws from the Union and State government, farmers’ leader Kodihalli Chandrashekhar said that the Union and State governments had failed to address the farmers’ problems. “The amendments to the Land Reforms Act, APMC Act, Essential Commodities Act, Electricity Act and others that have a direct bearing on the farmers have clearly shown that the governments are serving their corporate masters and not the farming community. These legislations help to safeguard the interests of big corporate companies and not farmers. We don’t accept these laws that were forcibly imposed on us despite our opposition,” he said at a press conference in Ballari on Wednesday appealing to the government to give up its stubborn position and repeal the controversial laws.