Karnataka farmers go on strike as BJP repeats crop procurement drama

Hyderabad: Proving its apparent anti-farmer leanings, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is once again at the receiving end of the farmer’s ire in a State ruled by the saffron party itself. The BJP-led Centre, after making Telangana’s paddy farmers suffer by refusing to procure the crop in time earlier this year, is remaining silent even […]

Hyderabad: Proving its apparent anti-farmer leanings, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is once again at the receiving end of the farmer’s ire in a State ruled by the saffron party itself.

The BJP-led Centre, after making Telangana’s paddy farmers suffer by refusing to procure the crop in time earlier this year, is remaining silent even as its government in Karnataka is pushing green gram farmers into misery by delaying procurement of their crop, citing different reasons.

Protesting the delay in procurement, green gram farmers in Gadag district are on strike, eating puffed rice and bananas, for the last three days in front of the Ron Tahsildar’s office in the district.

The farmers had turned up at the Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) to sell their produce and slept on tractors to protect the crops. As the APMC officials delayed procurement, the farmers staged a rasta roko at the APMC office on Friday. When farmers raised slogans, officials told them that there was no space available in the warehouse for storing the crop.

Vexed with the apathy, farmers then began protesting in front of the Tahsildar’s office. According to local media reports, Tahsildar U Vani accompanied the farmers to the APMC and directed officials there to purchase the green gram at the earliest.

Earlier this year, the union government had refused to procure the entire paddy produced in Telangana, citing a ‘huge pile up’ of stocks in the Food Corporation of India’s warehouses.

A delegation of Ministers from the State met union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Piyush Goyal to purchase the entire paddy produced in Telangana. Much to their dismay, the union Minister wanted the State government to get people habituated to consuming broken rice. Irked with Centre’s attitude, Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao had even staged a protest in New Delhi demanding procurement of paddy, besides a uniform procurement policy.

With the union government continuing to refuse to procure the rice, the State government procured the entire paddy produced by farmers in the State, providing them with much-needed relief and support. Continuing its commitment, the State government is now gearing up to procure one crore tonnes of paddy in the current Vaanakalam season.

Accordingly, plans, including setting up procurement centres, arranging storage spaces, tarpaulins and gunny bags for the convenience of farmers, are afoot.