KRRS plans Statewide protest on July 18

KRRS to protest anti-farmer policies, demand MSP, financial relief, and justice for farmers in Karnataka.

Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) will stage a State-wide agitation on July 18 and lay siege to the Deputy Commissioner’s office in all districts to protest the “anti-farmers policies” of the government.

The KRRS has also opposed any release of water from the dams in the Cauvery basin in the State, to Tamil Nadu citing inadequate rains.

Speaking to media persons here on Saturday the KRRS leader Badagalpua Nagendra said that the Congress government in the State was a replica of the previous regime under the BJP while the political party in power has changed the administration was no different.

Mr.Nagendra said though it is over one year since the Congress came to power in Karnataka there was no crackdown on corruption, which, he said, continued unabated. The government itself is mired in a scam pertaining to diversion of ₹187 crore from the Valmiki development corporation, he added.

The state-wide protest on July 18 should serve as a warning to the Congress government, said Mr. Nagendra. He said since April last year 1182 farmers have committed suicide of whom a majority were youngsters. The government should wake up to the crisis and conceive schemes and projects to usher in hope among farmers and infuse them with confidence, he added.

The KRRS tabled a list of demands for fulfilment by the government and it included announcement of minimum support price for agricultural produce. The government itself should procure the agricultural produce at MSP. This, Mr.Nagendra, said will help farmers wriggle out of the financial crisis due to last year’s drought.

The KRRS wanted the banks to stop recovering loan from farmers given their present financial condition. Some of the fee pertaining to mutation in revenue and land records were exorbitant and Mr.Nagendra wanted the fee to be reduced.