Farmers in Kanakagiri protested demanding higher tur support price, incentives, irrigation relief and loan waivers, submitting a memorandum to Chief Minister
Kanakagiri
Farmers’ organizations staged a strong protest in Kanakagiri demanding an increase in the support price for tur (pigeon pea). Members of the Karnataka Farmers’ Association and various units of the Hasiru Sene gathered at the Valmiki Circle on Monday and symbolically poured heaps of tur dal on the road to express their anger and frustration. Later, a memorandum addressed to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was submitted through Tahsildar Vishwanath Murudi.
Speaking at the protest, Kalyana Karnataka regional president of the farmers’ association, Pampanna Naik, condemned the state government for purchasing tur at the Central Government’s fixed support price of ₹8,000 per quintal. While he welcomed the opening of procurement centers in the district, he insisted that merely adhering to the Central price was unacceptable. He urged the state government to offer at least ₹8,500 per quintal to provide fair compensation to farmers.
Farmer leader Sharanappa Doddamani alleged that both the Central and State governments were neglecting farmers’ interests. He raised concerns over the delay in installing crest gates at the Tungabhadra Dam and questioned what meaningful guarantees the government had provided to farmers. He demanded an additional incentive of ₹4,000 per quintal for tur procurement.
Protestors also pressed for permanent government buildings for agriculture department offices currently operating from rented premises. They demanded loan waivers and assured irrigation for second-crop cultivation, warning that lack of water had increased farmer suicides and forced many to migrate for livelihood. Several farmers, including Ganesh Reddy, Suresh, Virupanna Kambali, Basavaraj, Somanna, Manjunath Godinal, Malingarayya, Hanumesha Huggi, Yankappa, Kanakappa Naik, and Hanumanth, participated in the agitation.