Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday assured farmer groups that their concerns would be reviewed and addressed, following a meeting with representatives of several organisations at Suvarna Soudha, reports Hindustan Times.
Responding to complaints about irregularities in sugarcane procurement, Siddaramaiah said measures were being implemented to prevent errors in cane weight and improve the procedure. “Steps have been taken to stop manipulation in sugarcane weight and to make sure yield calculations are done scientifically,” he said.
He said the government had already taken multiple steps to support farmers and would continue examining their demands. “The government has already taken many steps to resolve the issues of all farmers, including sugarcane growers, and we will look into every demand and find a way forward,” he said.
Farmer representatives submitted several demands, including uninterrupted power supply for irrigation, revival of the Akrama Sakrama scheme, higher compensation for crop loss caused by wildlife, a corpus fund for farm produce procurement, veterinary staff at the panchayat level, and filling vacancies at the newly formed sugar commissionerate in Belagavi.
Several organisations honoured the Chief Minister during the meeting, acknowledging the government’s efforts to address issues faced by sugarcane and maize farmers. Officials said the concerns raised would be reviewed with the relevant departments.
Siddaramaiah said the government was committed to improving electricity supply. “We are committed to giving farmers continuous quality power for seven hours. As power generation increases, supply will also rise. A meeting will be held with officials on this,” he said.
He added that the government would fulfil its duties. “The government will not fail the farmers in any way,” he said. “Our government supports farmers and is making sincere efforts to provide fair solutions to all problems.”
