Farmers’ leader Kurubur Shanthakumar has urged Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Pralhad Joshi to take up the issue of lesser grants to Karnataka for procurement of foodgrains under the minimum support price (MSP), and get the allocation of grants from the Centre increased.
Addressing presspersons in Hubballi on Wednesday, Mr. Shanthakumar said that while procurement centres were set up at the hobli level in States like Punjab, Haryana, and Telangana and up to 45% of the farmers’ yield was procured in these States, only 3% of the yield was procured under the MSP in Karnataka.
He said he would urge Mr. Joshi to take steps to increase the procurement and the required grants to the State government, and stop the injustice meted out to farmers of the State in this regard. To a query, he said while this had been happening for long, he was making a request to Mr. Joshi as he had been allotted the portfolio.
Mr. Shanthakumar said he would also urge Mr. Joshi to take steps to promulgate legislation on guaranteeing MSP to all crops and revert to the earlier decision of providing three litre kerosene to tribals and poor people residing in forest areas.
He said that the Uttar Pradesh government had digitalised the procurement of sugarcane by sugar mills and consequently there was no delay in farmers getting the money. However in Karnataka, payment to the tune of ₹700 crore to farmers was pending, and he would urge the State government to digitalise the whole process to help farmers.
He would also urge the State government to initiate criminal proceedings against sugar mills who had defaulted on payment to the farmers.
Mr. Shanthakumar said that he would urge the State government to re-introduce the ‘Akrama Sakrama’ scheme for regularising power connection to irrigation pumpsets. This apart, the government should promulgate legislation to imprison traders selling spurious seeds and fertilizers, he demanded.
To a query, he said the farmers would not require free power, subsidised seeds and fertilizers, and loan waivers if the government implemented recommendations of the M.S. Swaminathan Committee on fixing scientific price to crops and ensured guaranteed MSP for all crops.
