Congress responsible for rubber cultivators' plight: Balagopal

Rajya Sabha CPI(M) MP K N Balagopal today lashed out at the Congress for the plight of rubber cultivators, alleging that the policies adopted by the previous UPA government to help the tyre industry caused the fall in prices of the commodity.
Recalling a meeting, a delegation of MPs' had with then Finance Minister P Chidambaram, seeking a hike in rubber import duty, the MP said he had categorically told them that he has to "protect the interests of the rubber industry, especially the interests of tyre manufacturers".
Addressing a sit-in organised by CPI(M) leaders here to protest against the Centre's attitude towards rubber cultivators, Balagopal also hit out at the NDA government, alleging that the BJP-led government was also following the footsteps of the UPA government and pushing rubber farmers to the verge of suicide.

Meanwhile, KPCC Chief V M Sudheeran admitted that the policies adopted by the previous UPA government had hurt the interests of rubber farmers.
Talking to reporters here, Sudheeran, however, said "a post-mortem on the things done by the UPA government" would not help solve the problems of the rubber farmers.
"The Central government should take urgent measures to protect the interests of rubber cultivators," he said.
Both Balagopal and Sudheeran criticised the Centre's move to exclude rubber cultivators in Kerala and Tamil Nadu from subsidies for new planting and replanting.
Balagopal asked the Centre to disburse the subsidy amount to farmers in Tamil Nadu and Kerala also.