Centre not cooperating with Karnataka to solve farmers' woes: Shivakumar

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Tuesday said that the Centre was not cooperating with the state to solve farmers' problems.

The ongoing winter session of the legislature will focus on the burning issues in the state, mainly the farmers, he said, and urged the opposition to join the government to pressurise the Centre over crop procurement and regional development.

"We don't know why the Centre is not cooperating with us to resolve the matter. We don't know why it is not releasing funds to procure crops under Minimum Support Price (MSP)," Shivakumar, who is also Congress state president, told reporters here.

The winter session of the Karnataka Legislature is in progress in Belagavi.

The BJP has decided to stage a protest on Tuesday against the injustice to the farmers.

Reiterating that the session must meaningfully address these concerns, he said, "It is our wish that the Centre should release funds for the welfare of Kittur Karnataka and Kalyana Karnataka regions. We believe that the session will deliberate on these issues."  Shivakumar criticised the BJP's call for a demonstration, questioning the party's record in taking decisive steps on irrigation and crop procurement.

"Did the BJP ever take such firm decisions as we had on Upper Krishna Project (UKP), sugarcane and maize procurement," he asked.

The Deputy Chief Minister noted that the state had decided to buy a certain amount of maize and highlighted the gravity of the crisis in the sugar industry.

"Sugar factory owners are in tears..., factories are on the verge of closure," he said, adding that the government was "pressurising the Centre to bear the expenses together."  Pointing to the Centre's responsibility in deciding support prices, he said, "Who decides MSP? It's the Centre only. It didn't enhance sugar prices for the past 10 years. Why aren't they deciding to support the factories?"  He added that the farmers should be saved even if it results in loss.

Maize growers have been protesting, demanding procurement at ₹3,000 per quintal.

The current MSP is ₹2,400 per quintal, and farmers are seeking a ₹600 bonus. Ahead of the session, the state government announced increasing maize procurement from 20 quintals per farmer to 50 quintals at ₹2,400 per quintal.

Maintaining that the political fight should not be fragmented, he said the fight should not be by the BJP or farmers. It is the state that should raise voice against the Centre.

Shivakumar dismissed the BJP's protest plans, saying, "Since they don't have anything to say, they are protesting."  Meanwhile, reacting to Yathindra Siddaramaiah's statement that his father Siddaramaiah would complete five year term as Chief Minister, Shivakumar said, "I am glad about it".

Yathindra on Monday claimed that the Congress high command has said that there is no leadership change in the state and he believes that Siddaramaiah will continue as CM for five years.