Farmers stage protest with destroyed red gram crop in Kalaburagi

Led by Karnataka Prantha Raitha Sangha (KPRS), farmers from different villages, who suffered losses due to destruction of standing red gram crop to wilt disease, staged a demonstration outside the office of the Deputy Commissioner in Kalaburagi on Thursday. They demanded the government undertake a crop loss survey and pay compensation of ₹25,000 per acre to the farmers whose crops were destroyed.

Speaking at the agitation site, Sharanabasappa Mamashetti, district president of KPRS, said two lakhs of the six lakh hectares of red gram crop cultivated in Kalaburagi district was destroyed in the wilt disease.

“In Neelur village alone, over 150 acres of red cram crop were destroyed. In Bannur village, crop standing on over 200 acres of land had withered. The red gram was cultivated on six lakh hectares in Kalaburagi district and the crop on two lakh hectares was destroyed as per our estimate,” he said.

Mr. Mamashetti warned of staging a massive demonstration with the destroyed red gram crop in front of the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi when the winter session of the State Legislature was under way.

The farmers submitted a memorandum addressed to the Chief Minister and Agriculture Minister, to the office of Deputy Commissioner with a list of demands. Their demands included conducting a crop loss survey, announcing a special package of ₹30 crore to pay compensation, releasing crop insurance amount to affected farmers, and fixing Minimum Support Price of ₹12,000 a quintal for red gram.

Published - November 28, 2024 08:32 pm IST