Bengaluru
A delegation of farmer leaders, led by Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha State President Kurubur Shanthakumar, met Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at his residence on Thursday and sought urgent measures to address farmer concerns across the state.
The Chief Minister assured the delegation that compensation for crop loss due to excessive rains would be enhanced.
Key Demands Raised:
- Lake Desilting & Irrigation: Formulate a plan to desilt 38,000 lakes across Karnataka and channel water to farmlands with adequate budget allocation.
- Sugarcane Pricing: With production costs rising in 2025–26, farmers urged the state to fix a State Advisory Price (SAP) over and above the FRP. They also demanded immediate release of pending arrears of ₹150 per tonne from the 2023–24 season.
- Rain Damage Compensation: Provide scientific assessment-based relief of ₹25,000 per acre for rainfed crops and ₹40,000 per acre for irrigated crops.
- Return of KIADB Lands: Farmlands acquired by KIADB but left unused for 25 years should be returned to farmers.
- MSP Procurement Expansion: The decision to guarantee procurement of paddy, ragi, and jowar under MSP was welcomed. Farmers sought the inclusion of Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) alongside co-operatives and self-help groups in procurement.
The farmer leaders stressed that these measures must be implemented immediately to safeguard the livelihoods of cultivators across Karnataka.
Delegation Members:
Kurubur Shanthakumar (State President), Ballur Ravikumar (General Secretary), Ravikumar (District President, Gadag), Karabasappagowda (State President, Hasiru Sene Karnataka), Attahalli Devaraj (Organizing Secretary), N.H. Devakumar (Vice President), Baradanapura Nagaraj (District General Secretary), Srinivasalu (Chikkaballapur), Anjanappa Poojar (Davanagere), Bairareddy (Secretary), Kotresh Chaudhary (Yadgir), Vishwanath Shirahatti, and Paramesh Hulagur.