Karnataka   

Steps sought to help farmers

DAVANGERE: There has been considerable migration of farmers from villages to urban areas.

The World Bank, quoting a survey conducted by the National Sample Survey Organisation, had predicted that over 40 crore people would migrate from villages to towns and cities by 2015 in India, if steps were not taken to make it viable for farmers to stay in their villages.

Talking to reporters here on Wednesday, Kodihalli Chandrashekar, president of the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha, said that both the Union and State governments had failed to chalk out measures to promote agriculture. In fact, many programmes of the Union Government had proved detrimental to farmers and agriculture, and this was the chief reason for the migration of farmers to urban areas.

Recent amendments to the Land Reforms Act, the Seeds Act, the APMC Act and formation of special economic zones had benefited multinational companies and impoverished farmers.

He warned that the ill-conceived programmes of the Government would have a harmful impact on agriculture, and it was high time that the Government realised the adverse effects of such policies on farmers and food security. When there had been a good harvest of wheat in the country, what was the necessity of importing wheat by paying higher prices, he asked. Similarly, the country was self-sufficient in sugar production, sugar was being imported from Pakistan, he said.

J.M. Veera Sangaiah, vice-president, and H.M. Maheshwaraswamy, general secretary of the sangha were present.

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