: BJP would hold a 'Raita Chaitanya Yatre' (farmer's rally) here on September 11 to pressurise the state government to address problems being faced by farmers in the state and provide immediate help to them, Nalin Kumar Kateel MP, said today.
Kateel said the stir was to wake the state government "out of slumber" on the issues of farmers. Many farmers in the state, especially sugarcane farmers, had committed suicide in the last few months burdened with loans as their crops failed due to drought, he told reporters here.
BJP state president Prahlad Joshi would lead the Raita Chaitanya Yatre, he said.
The previous BJP government had provided solace to farmers in distress during crop failure by implementing special packages and loans with zero interest. It had also released Rs 6,000 crore for sugarcane farmers as compensation, Kateel said.
However, the present government could not make available Rs 1,600 crore expected from the Centre as it did not submit a detailed report on the plight of farmers in the state,he said.
Kateel alleged that the government was indifferent to the problems of the people, including power crisis in different areas and security and safety concerns in the coastal district of Dakshina Kannada.
To a question on the controversial Yettinahole river water diversion project, Kateel said he had written to the Union Minister for Water Resources Uma Bharti, urging the ministry to drop the project. Though the previous BJP government had initiated the project, it was not implemented at that time, he said.
