K'taka Govt to announce Relief package to sugar cane farmers

Bidar, May 22 (UNI) The Karnataka Government will announce a relief package to bail out Sugar cane farmers who are in distress due to unharvesting of the sugar cane grown, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy said today.

Addressing a press conference in Humnabad, about 60-km from here, the Chief Minister appealed to the sugar cane growers not to commit suicide as the State government would do its best to address their grievances.

Mr Kumaraswamy alleged that certain farmer leaders mislead the farmers not to sell their sugar cane crops and leading to present crisis. He appealed to the farming community to have trust on the State Government in getting relief for their crop loss.

Assuring the sugar cane farmers that he would try to secure higher price of Rs 1700 per tonne of sugar cane as being paid in neighbouring Maharashtra State, he said that he would also visit some of the sugar cane fields in the district.

Replying to questions, Mr Kumaraswamy said that former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda had written him a letter urging to provide internal reservation for other backward communities in the State. A decision on the issue would be taken within the framework of law, he added.

About the Ullal assembly bypoll on June Two, Mr Kumaraswamy expressed confidence that JD(S) candidate would win the election.

"I have also planned to campaign for the success of the party candidate", he added.

Later Chief Minister also held Janatha Darshan, in which he has received hundreds of petitions from the public.

UNI