Bengaluru, Nov 17 (IANS): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K Shivakumar on Friday said that the state government has appealed to the Centre to increase MGNREGA man-days from 100 to 150 in view of drought in the state.

Shivakumar said that over 200 taluks in the state are reeling under severe drought and increase in MGNREGA man-days will benefit people of drought-hit areas.

“There is a rule that MGNREGA man-days must be increased at the time of drought, but nothing has been done yet. Those who claim to be farmers and sons of soil in the BJP must urge the Centre to increase the number of man-days,” Shivakumar said while speaking at the inaugural ceremony of Krishi Mela at Gandhi Krishi Vigyan Kendra in Bengaluru.

The Deputy Chief Minister said that as per the rules of MGNREGA, farmers could earn by working in government lands. “I succeeded in impressing upon Sonia Gandhi and the then Rural Development Minister C.P Joshi to allow the benefit of MGNREGA to farmers’ efforts in their own land,” he said.

“I have ensured that each and every farmer in Kanakapura taluk to get MGNREGA benefits. The BJP cannot help but give the ‘best taluk for MGNREGA implementation’ award to our taluk,” he said, calling upon farmers to make full use of the scheme.

He urged the University of Agricultural Sciences to do research to increase the yields so that farmers stick to farming and not sell their lands.

The Deputy Chief Minister said that the farmers of Bengaluru Rural, Kanakapura, Chikkaballapura and Kolar are role models for the entire country as they have achieved huge success in farming of vegetables, fruits and flowers.

“These farmers are making use of scarce resources available to them and are earning excellent returns. Farmers should not to sell their lands and migrate to cities. Farmers are the backbone of our country,” the Deputy Chief Minister said.