Bangalore: BJP opposes gutka ban, demands immediate withdrawal

Bangalore, Jun 4 (PTI): The opposition BJP in Karnataka today demanded immediate withdrawal of Government notification banning gutka, asserting that it would hit arecanut growers of the state.

The party's floor leader in the Legislative Assembly and former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar took exception to Government not taking the House into confidence before issuing the May 30 notification when the session was on.

He charged that the Government has taken a hasty decision without pondering over its implication on arecanut farmers, and sought its withdrawal till the problems of the growers are addressed.

Shettar, who raised the issue in the House along with some other BJP members, added that the Government should have held discussions with legislators from arecanut growing areas, before issuing the notification.

Visweshwara Hegde Kageri (BJP) noted that Karnataka accounts for 60 per cent of the country's arecanut production and maintained that there is nothing to suggest that arecanut is harmful to health.

Kageri, a former Minister who hails from Uttara Kannada district, a key producer of arecanut, alleged that a "powerful lobby" is behind the government's decision which he termed as "unilateral" and "dictatorial". What's needed is removal of harmful substances such as tobacco and nicotine from gutka.

He said arecanut farmers are already saddled with loan burden and prices are "collapsing" and wanted the Government to come to their rescue. "The government should immediately convene a meeting of arecanut farmers, associations and organisations to discuss the issue in a scientific way".

B B Ningaiah (JDS) said following the ban, gutka manufacturers have already stopped purchasing arecanut.

Former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa (Karnataka Janatha Paksha), demanded that the Government announce a support price for arecanut and reimburse the balance amount in case the price falls below that.

"We are not against the ban on gutka", he said. "The government should first make an alternative mechanism for growers. Then they can decide on banning gutka".

Cauvery Unites Opposition in Demanding Clarity from Govt

From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Jun 4: The vexed Cauvery issue helped in uniting the opposition parties in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly in rallying behind the JD(S) in vehemently attacking the Siddaramaiah-led Congress regime and also making strong demand for deletion of Governor H R Bhardwaj’s reference to the Cauvery Award in his address to the joint session of the State Legislature.

Leader of the Opposition H D Kumaraswamy, who had given a notice to Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa seeking an amendment to the Governor’s address under Rule 21 of the House, said it was better on the part of the Government to delete the sentence from the Governor’s speech before moving motion of thanks to the Governor for his address.

The Governor in his speech had said: “The long pending extension, renovation, and modernisation projects of the Cauvery basin will be taken up for approval of the Government of India, in conformity with the Cauvery Award.”

The JD(S) leader and former chief minister said the Government decision to take up modernisation of projects in the basin after the Centre’s approval and in conformity with the Cauvery Award would cause severe hardship to both residents of Bangalore as well a large number of farmers in the basin districts.

The Government has filed petitions before the Supreme Court and Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal challenging the Cauvery award, he said and wondered how it could now state through the Governor’s address ''a virtual shift in its policy.”

The Government’s decision to implement modernisation projects in conformity with the Cauvery Award would give Tamil Nadu more edge in the Supreme Court as well in the CWDT to defend its case, the JD(S) leader said.

Modernisation works have already been taken up, he said asked what was the necessity for the State Government to take up the Centre’s approval.

''Whom you are going to please? Do you wanted UPA III by implementation of modernisation projects in conformity with the Cauvery Award?,” Kumaraswamy asked the Government.

BJP floor leader and former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, former Water Resources Minister Basavaraj Bommai too slammed the Government and said the Governor’s speech clearly indicated acceptance of the Award by the Government.

Concurring with the stand taken by Kumaraswamy, the BJP leaders demanded immediate deletion of the sentence from the speech to safeguard the State’s interest.

“The Governor’s speech is a very serious document in the Supreme Court. Don’t take it as a prestige issue and agree to our demand for deletion of the sentence from the speech,” Shettar said.

Already a few moderniation works of canals have been completed, Bommai said.

Former Chief Minister and KJP president B S Yeddyurappa alleged that the State has surrendered to the Tamil Nadu on sharing of the Cauvery waters and urged the Government to correct the mistake occurred in the speech copy, which was approved by the State Cabinet.

Yeddyurappa appealed to the Speaker to adjourn the House for a few minutes to hold discussions with the Advocate General to understand the implications in the apex court and CWDT.

JD(S) members H D Revanna, N Cheluvarayaswamy and H C Balakrishna and BJP members urged the Government to treat the Cauvery issue very seriously in the interest of the State.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who responded to the opposition’s attack, said he would give a satisfactory answer while replying to the debate on the Governor’s address.

Gutka ban to stay, govt rejects BJP demand to revoke it

Bangalore, Jun 4 (PTI): Karnataka government today said the ban imposed on gutka would stay, rejecting the demand of the opposition BJP which argued that the move would hit arecanut growers in the State.

At the end of a debate on the issue in the state Assembly, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said revoking the May 30 government notification would only benefit the gutka lobby and would not help the cause of curbing cancer cases.

The ban is as per the Supreme Court order, he said,denying that it was a hasty decision. The government had no other option but to impose the ban. As many as 23 States and five Union Territories have taken similar step.

Seeking to allay concerns of the growers, he said the decline of price of arecanut was only marginal.Government would extend them support if the prices crash, he assured.