From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Jun 26: The ruling Congress on Friday accused the Opposition for the sad plight of paddy, groundnut, jowar, ragi and wheat crop growing farmers by highlighting only non-payment of dues to sugarcane growers by factories.

Addressing presspersons here, leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council V S Ugrappa alleged that Opposition BJP and JD(S) parties have been politicising suicide cases of sugarcane growers to regain their base in north Karnataka.

Sugarcane growers constituted just eight per cent of the farming community in the State.

He asked the Opposition to enlighten the Government on problems faced by farmers growing crops other than sugarcane.

The Siddaramaiah government has taken several pro-farmer decisions, including farm loans for zero per cent interest rates, incentive of Rs 4 per litre of milk.

The Opposition has been deliberately raking up sugarcane growers’ problems by issuing provocative statements during the Belagavi session of the legislature, which would commence from Monday, he said.

Ugrappa appealed to farmers to utilise government’s schemes to boost farm output and refrain from taking extreme steps.