Formation of 'Farmers Commission' demanded

Bangalore, Jul 3 (UNI)'Prantha Raitha Sangha', the farmers wing of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) in Karnataka, today urged the state government to constitute a state level 'Farmers Commission' as suggested by the Dr M S Swaminathan committee report on Agriculture.

Addressing a press conference here, its President Maruthi Manpade said, in a memorandum to Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, it has urged the state government to take steps to solve various problems being faced by the farming community.

Urging the state government to provide free supply of power to farmers, he asked the Chief Minister not to put any conditions for giving free power to farmers.

Stating that farmers were committing suicide due to heavy burden of interest on the debts they had borrowed, he said the government should take measures to strengthen the micro credit delivery systems, including agricultural co-operative societies.

The farmers' organisation also urged the state government to take all necessary measures to utilise the state's share of Krishna and Cauvery waters by starting irrigation projects.

''The Chief Minister should announce all these measures in his budget speech scheduled to be held on July 17'' he said.

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