
BANGALORE: The much anticipated meeting of the land owners, farmers and the chief minister failed to find any solution for the jinxed Arkavathy Layout and other issues raised by the leaders of the farmers' community.
Emerging from the meeting, Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa said the farmer leaders have placed some demands, including enhancing the minimum support price for some of the crops.
"We have decided to discuss these issues in the presence of the Opposition leaders and take a delegation to Delhi to explain our case to the Central government," he said. "We have also decided to discuss the Arkavathy Layout soon and till then the Bangalore Development Authority will not undertake any work there."
Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha president Kodihalli Chandrasekhar said they have given a week's time to the government to announce the minimum support price for different crops.
"If the government fails to meet the deadline and tries to dodge the issue on the pretext of Zilla Panchayat elections, we will launch an intense protest from December 9," he said.
Chandrasekhar also said the deputy commissioners have concluded that `1,500 per quintal would be an ideal minimum support price for paddy. The previous minimum support price fixed for paddy was `1,030 but the traders were buying paddy at `700.
Similarly ragi, wheat and other grains were being bought at prices lower than the fixed support price. "We do not want such things," he said. "The industries minister has invited us to discuss the minimum support price for sugarcane."
He said the state government had acquired 142 acres of land, including sites distributed to the poor, near Davangere. "They have allotted 35 acres of that land to Davangere MP C M Siddesh, 20 acres to a Bangalore based educational institution and 10 acres for some buildings," he said. "We want the sites to be given back."