Kumaraswamy interacts with farmers

Bangalore, June 14 (UNI) The spate of farmers' suicides across Karnataka was discussed at an interactive meeting convened by Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy to find a way out to mitigate their sufferings.

Mr Kumaraswamy, who was flooded with suggestions, assured farmers, agricultural experts and political leaders, who participated in the meeting, that the Government would find a solution and come to the rescue of farmers.

It was not just the crop loan burden that led farmers to take the extreme step, but various other problems such as failure of their wards getting proper employment and inability to meet medical costs of family members also added to their woes, he said.

Among various suggestions that came up during the meeting, included creation of a Agriculture Price Monitoring and Regulating Committee and Agriculture Planning Board at the state-level and reintroduction of free power supply scheme to farmers.

Mr Basavaraj Thambake, a peasant from Bidar district narrating the plight of farmers in the district, said farmers' suicides were not recent occurances. It had a history of over three decades and wanted the government to go into the root of the problem and come out with a comprehensive solution.

He said in 1970s, the farmers never thought of such extreme steps when the distress was severe. However, the emerging trend of opening of economy in the WTO regime in the name of development had resulted in farmers being ignored, thereby their woes continued to pile up during the last two decades.

To contain the farmers' problems, the state government should take immediate measures, including reintroduction of free power supply, formation of Agriculture Planning Board at the state-level, implementation of Dr Swaminathan Committee in its full text, and one-time waiver of all the farmers debts, including the loan taken from cooperative institutions and banks.

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