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No more firing on farmers, police told

Special Correspondent

Chief Minister to convene all-party meeting on fertilizer crisis in the State

Special squad to check hoarding of fertilizers
President’s Rule blamed for shortage of fertilizers

Providing solace: Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa on Wednesday consoling the family members of Siddalingappa Choori, who was killed in police firing in Haveri on Tuesday.

BANGALORE: Jolted by the police firing that claimed the life of a farmer in Haveri, Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa has directed the police not to open fire at farmers under any circumstances. A decision to this effect was taken at a high-level meeting attended by Ministers and top officials at the Chief Minister’s Home Office, Krishna, here on Wednesday.

Briefing presspersons after the meeting, Mr. Yeddyurappa said the police had also been instructed to take stringent action against those trying to disturb the peace by masquerading as farmers.

Alleging that some political forces had joined hands with anti-social elements, using the issue of fertilizer shortage, Mr. Yeddyurappa said he would not tolerate this.

He alleged that said some political forces had paid money to anti-social elements to disturb the peace in the name of farmers. “We have got evidence in this regard, which we will make public at an appropriate time.” The Government had information that there were efforts to spread the farmers’ protests to all the districts, he claimed.

Mr. Yeddyurappa announced the formation of a special squad of officials to detect hoarding of fertilizers by traders hoping to take advantage of the situation and make a fast buck. The Chief Minister said he would convene a meeting of leaders of all parties in about three days to take stock of the law and order situation and also to discuss the steps to be taken by the State to overcome the fertilizer shortage.

He appealed to all the political parties to join hands with him to put pressure on the Centre to supply more quantity of fertilizers to the State.

Mr. Yeddyurappa blamed officials, right from the district-level agricultural officers to village assistants, for the fertilizer shortage snowballing into a crisis.

Addressing a separate press conference in Bangalore, Bharatiya Janata Party State unit president D.V. Sadananda Gowda squarely blamed bureaucrats for the fertilizer shortage.

He said the officials were yet to strike a chord with the BJP Government, which had been formed for the first time in the State.

“The BJP Government is in the stage of take off. It is not proper to blame the new Government for the fertilizer shortage,” he said.

Visits injured

Hubli Staff Correspondent writes:

Speaking to presspersons in Hubli after visiting those injured in the police firing, who are undergoing treatment at the Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences, Mr. Yeddyurappa said that he had asked the Divisional Commissioner to submit a report on the Haveri firing within 10 days. Based on the report further action would be taken, he said.

Employment

Mr. Yeddyurappa said the State Government would provide a job to the wife of the victim, Siddalingappa Choori, and also would bear the educational expenses of his son.

He blamed the President’s Rule for the shortage of fertilizers in the State.

He said proper planning during President’s Rule would have averted the present crisis.

Mr. Yeddyurappa visited the family of Choori and handed over a cheque of Rs. 2 lakh to Shanthamma, the mother of the victim.

Speaking to presspersons at the helipad in Haveri, he repeated the conspiracy theory of the unrest. “Only two weeks have passed since the BJP Government came into existence in the State. There is a systematic conspiracy to create tension in the State using the fertilizer issue,” he said. He said he was ready to die for the sake of farmers.

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