Silvester D’ Souza
Daijiworld Media Network – Kundapur (EP)

Kundapur, Oct 29: “The reports of foot and mouth disease among cattle are being received. The department of animal husbandry should obtain details of deaths of cattle occurred due to the illness so that compensation may be disbursed to the affected people”, said district in charge minister Vinay Kumar Sorake.
 
Minister Sorake was speaking after inaugurating the programme for distribution of token cheques as compensation and giving them away among those farmers who were affected by fruit rot disease in arecanut cultivation.

“In Udupi, which is known for cultivation, the state government has distributed compensation immediately after receiving reports on fruit rot disease. A grant of Rs 12 crores having been received, the farmers are being paid up to Rs 12,000 per hectare. Out of the 4,680 applications received, 3,000 have been scrutinized, and compensation is being distributed to 1,700 out of them against whom the report was received.  The report against the remaining 1,300 applicants is to be received.  We hope to receive aid from the central government as well”, he said.     
 
“The state government has spent an amount of Rs 10,000 crores in order to encourage farmers. Rs 1,000 crores have been added to the reserve fund. An agriculture authority is formed in order to do away with middlemen. Farmers are paid an interest free loan up to Rs 2 lacs and up to Rs 3 lacs at the interest rate of 3%. The government has realized that the nation will prosper if agriculture is given importance and have implemented farmer friendly programmes”, he said.
 
“The Campco organizations started in Karnataka and Kerala under the leadership of Varanasi’s Subraya Bhat when the prices of arecanut had crashed, have now become famous. The licenses are being issued through agricultural authority, akrama sakrama committee will be formed soon, the files will be disposed off at a fast pace, law 94C will be implemented in 10-15 days and the cases pending with the land reforms tribunal will be disposed off soon. We have decided to give Kumki right to the farmers. The farmers are given compensation and facilities directly to avoid them wandering around offices”, he said.
 
Taluk panchayat president Deepila Shetty, Kundapur assistant departmental head Yogeshwar, district panchayat education and health committee president Ganapathi T Sriyan, district panchayat former president S Raju Poojary, Zilla panchayat member Ananta Movadi and Taluk panchayat executive Gopala Shetty were present.
 
Taluk official Mohini said the prayer. Tahsildar Gayatri Nayak gave an introductory speech saying that out of 4,000 applications received, 1,700 have been considered for compensation and 615 people are being issued cheques, she said. Seetharama Shetty, deputy director of the department of social welfare conducted the programme.
 

Rs 12 crores allotted for revival of Brahmavar Sugar factory

"The government has allotted Rs 12 crores for the sugar factory to repay loan and pay wages to the workers when the factory’s 110 acres land is about to be auctioned. Further course of action will be discussed after holding a general body meeting with the farmers. Not even 50% of work in Varahi Project for which the foundation stone was laid along with sugar factory is completed. There are many impediments. The work will be hastened after discussing with forest and irrigation ministers”, said minister Sorake.