BENGALURU: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said agriculture is one of the priority sectors of the state government and they are fully committed to protecting farmers’ interests.
The CM, who held a pre-budget meeting with representatives of farmers’ organisations, said he has assured them of looking into their demands. The CM stated that the government is committed to protecting farmers’ interests, and there is no compromise on that.
Agriculture Minister N Chaluvarayaswamy, representatives of several farmers’ organisations and senior officials from the agriculture department attended the pre-budget meeting. The Federation of Farmers’ Associations, which was part of the pre-budget meeting, submitted a memorandum demanding that banks should provide agricultural loans of up to 75 per cent of the land value to farmers, and the state government should provide 20 per cent reservation in government jobs to girls marrying farmers’ sons.
The federation stated that the price of sugarcane should be fixed in the farmers’ lands, desilt lakes and shift the silt to farmers lands, provide Rs 10,000 financial assistance, bring in a law to take stern action against those selling substandard seeds, fertilisers and pesticides and provide insurance cover for all crops.