Karnataka Budget: What’s in it for us, ask farmers

Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa has made his green shawl, symbolic of being farmer-friendly, a permanent feature of his budget presentation.
For representational purposes
For representational purposes

BENGALURU: Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa has made his green shawl, symbolic of being farmer-friendly, a permanent feature of his budget presentation. This year too, the CM, who is also the Finance Minister, followed this tradition while presenting the Karnataka Budget in the Assembly on Monday. But farmers say the Budget has brought them little cheer.

Except for a few initiatives like cutting down the APMC tax, renovation of markets, computerisation of Primary Agricultural Credit Cooperative Societies, no concrete programmes have been announced to boost farmers’ income. This, when the farmers are on protests demanding a firm  commitment from the government to assure MSP, strengthen the APMC  market and check the dominance of touts.

The CM announced that gaushalas would be established in all 31 districts to prevent ‘slaughter of cows and to protect livestock’.  The setting up of a theme park for demonstration of native livestock in Hesaraghatta of Bengaluru is among other proposals.

While agriculture experts felt that the CM should have focused on what he could do to win over the farming community despite financial constraints, farmer leaders said they were unhappy as the Budget ignored farmers.  According to KRRS state president Badagalapura Narendra, the CM had failed to announce the setting up of a revolving fund to ensure MSP in the event of  a crash in prices of produce.

He said `500 cr for organic farming would only help those promoting it.Karnataka State Sugarcane  Growers’ Association president Kurbur Shanthakumar accused the Chief Minister of neglecting the farmers. He said setting aside just `5 crore for the purchase of agricutjral equipment was not enough.

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