Karnataka monsoon Session: Farmers, BJP create ruckus

The first day of the monsoon session of the Karnataka Legislature which began on Monday in Belagavi, was stalled as BJP members staged a dharna and on sugarcane growers’ crisis. A united opposition marred the day over the government's alleged failure which BJP leader Jagadish Shettar charged, had left the farmers with no other option but commit suicide.

There was a ruckus outside the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha, too, as the sugarcane growers blocked the Pune-Bengaluru National Highway No 4 for more than eight hours.

Police arrested hundreds of farmers, including President of Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha Kodlihalli Chandrashekhar. Karnataka Kabbu Belegara Sangha, led by Kurubar Shanthkumar, along with Chandrashekhar and other farmers’ associations had set a 2 pm deadline for the government to decide on sugarcane dues of nearly Rs 1,000 crore for 2013-14 and another Rs 3,600 crore for 2014-15.

However, the government failed to respond to the farmers’ plea before the expiry of deadline and the farmers, breaking the barricades, rushed to the National Highway and blocked the road. The traffic between Belagavi and Dharwad was stranded for more than eight hours as the farmers refused to leave and the police used force to evict them.

Higher education minister R V Deshpande’s efforts to pacify the farmers did not yield results.

Shantkumar said, the associations had decided not to meet any minister or officer to discuss the issue of payment of arrears to sugarcane growers. He also demanded a policy decision by the government to fix Rs 10 lakh as compensation to the family of farmers committing suicide due to indebtedness. Currently, the government is giving compensation, ranging from Rs 1-2.70 lakh.

The day also witnessed the BJP staging a ‘dharna’ in the Assembly as soon as the House met in the morning. Shouting slogans against the state government and the chief minister, the BJP members demanded payments of Rs 960 crore and Rs 3,000 crore due to cane growers by the government of previous years and last year, respectively.

Ministers R V Deshpande and Jayachandra, as also several ruling Congress MLAs, defended the government, leading to verbal exchange between both the sides. Intervening, Siddaramaiah said government is ready for discussion and added, "our government is pro-poor and farmer friendly." During heated exchanges, BJP members entered the well of the House shouting slogans against the government and were joined by JD(S) members.

The Speaker then allowed discussion on the issue after which the Opposition withdrew their protest. In the Legislative Council also, the Opposition BJP and JDS demanded immediate payment of dues to sugarcane growers. The session of Assembly and Council is being held from today till July 10 in Belagavi and from July 13 to 24 in Bengaluru.

The police seized a pesticide container from a farmer near Suvarna Vidhana Soudha. The 27-year-old farmer from Nilji village in Raibag of Belagavi, Siddaram Hachhare was found carrying the pesticide in his pocket. The police immediately seized it as he was entering the venue of farmers’ protest in front of Suvarna Vidhana Soudha. The youth was sent to district civil hospital for a check up to rule out the possibility of him consuming poison before coming to the venue.