From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Jan 28: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has asserted that the Congress Government will not allow any move to ban arecanut and promised to protect the interests of growers
 
He made the announcement during the course of a brief intervention, when BJP member Visveshwara Hegde Kageri raised the issue in the zero hour of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Tuesday.

The chief minister said the State Government has appointed a senior counsel to argue the case in the Supreme Court to safeguard the interests of the arecanut growers.

The Centre has been informed on the issue, he said and made it clear that the government will take all steps to protect the interests of thousands of arecanut growers.

Union Health Minister Gulam Nabi Azad has informed him that there was no proposal before his ministry to ban arecanut, Siddaramaiah said.

The Chief Minister said Additional Solicitor General Indira Jaising had made an oral submission in the Supreme Court.
But there was no need to panic, he said pointing out that the question of banning arecanut did not arise as long as the nut was scientifically found to be the cause for harm.

Former Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition Jagadish Shettar, Kageri and D N Jeevaraj (all of BJP) demanded that the State Government must take all steps to exertt pressure on the Centre to withdraw an affidavit filed before the Supreme Court with regard proposal to ban arecanut.

Lakhs of families in malnad and coastal districts of the State depended on the crop for their livelihood, they said.

Meanwhile, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister T B Jayachandra told N H Konaraddi (JD-S) that the State Government has relaxed the quantity of maize to be procured from farmers and a decision has been taken to set up procurement centers in villages.

Earlier, the State Cabinet had decided to procure only 75 quintals of maize from each farmer.