The Hindu : Karnataka News : Policy of duty-free import of silk opposed

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Sunday, Mar 20, 2011
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Karnataka

Policy of duty-free import of silk opposed

Staff Correspondent

Silk farmers, reelers to stage protests

KOLAR: Silk farmers, reelers and those connected with sericulture in the State will stage protests outside the offices of Union Ministers from Karnataka S.M. Krishna, M. Veerappa Moily and K.H. Muniyappa. A bandh call is also being planned.

The All-India Struggle Committee against Duty-free Import of Silk and Karnataka Prantha Raitha Sangha have planned the stir to oppose the Union Government's policy of duty-free import of silk and allowing reduction in excise duty on silk yarn to 5 per cent which, they said, were detrimental to the welfare of domestic sericulturists.

While dharnas outside the residence of Mr. Krishna in Bangalore and the office of Mr. Moily in Chickballapur will be organised on March 20, an agitation is planned on March 24 near the office of Mr. Muniyappa in Kolar, committee organising convener G.C. Bayya Reddy told presspersons here on Friday.

Mounting pressure on the Union Government to revoke the anti-sericulture policy is the main aim of the stir as these three Ministers represent the region where more than 50 per cent of State's silk production comes from, Mr. Bayya Reddy said.

Bandh plan

If the Union Government fails to take steps to safeguard the interests of silk farmers, a bandh in eight districts where sericulture was in practice would be organised, he said.

The Union Government, he alleged, had hoodwinked the farmers by reducing excise duty on silk import to 5 per cent instead of revoking the order which allowed duty-free import of silk.

District leaders of the struggle committee Dyaveerappa and A. Arjunan and KPRS leaders T.M. Venkatesh and P.R. Suryanarayan were present.

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