Daijiworld Media Network – Puttur (EP/DV)
Puttur, Feb 11: Union home and cooperatives minister Amit Shah set in motion the golden jubilee festival of the Central Arecanut and Cocoa Marketing and Processing Cooperative Limited (Campco) at the Vivekananda English medium school premises, Thengila, Puttur on February 11.
Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai, ministers Araga Jnanendra, V Sunil Kumar, S Angara, S T Somashekar, Kota Srinivas Poojary, former chief minister B S Yediyurappa, MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, local MLA Sanjiva Matandoor, Vivekananda Vidyavardhaka Sangha president Dr Kalladka Prabhaker Bhat and other dignitaries were present.
He also visited Amaragiri and offered floral tributes to the emblem of the soldier fist with tri-colour flag and to the Bharath Matha statue. The statue is built by the Dharmashree Prathishtana. It aims to commemorate Bharat Mata and her brave warriors, to instill patriotism fervour among the public.
Prior to the inauguration of Bharat Mata temple, Amit Shah visited the Shree Panchamukhi Anjaneya Temple in Hanumagiri and performed prayers.
Addressing the gathering Amit Shah said that Campco is known for its progress in the cooperative sector. He lauded the rich culture and heritage of Dakshina Kannada and said, “This place provides connectivity with various modes of transportation. It is very helpful in trade.”
He also said, "You must decide whether you should vote for the JD(S) and the Congress which are supporters of Tipu Sultan, or your votes should go to the believers of Rani Abbakka (local queen who fought the Portuguese)," he said.
Shah said that only the BJP can work for the development of Karnataka, something the JD(S) or the Congress can never do.
"The Congress had released 1,700 workers of the Popular Front of India (PFI), while Prime Minister Narendra Modi has banned the outfit. Congress' appeasement policies have damaged national integration and security," Shah stated.
He added that only the BJP under the able leadership of Prime Minister Modi can keep the state safe.
"PM Modi has put an end to terrorism and Naxalism. The Congress and the JD(S) had claimed that there will be a bloodbath if Article 370 was withdrawn from Kashmir. But PM Modi's government ensured that no one dared to carry out a single act of violence," the Home Minister said.
Praising the culture of the region, Shah said that he has watched the film 'Kantara' and he also knows the director.
"The movie showcases the rich culture and tradition of the Mangaluru region," he said.
Chief minister Basavaraj Bommai and former chief minister B S Yediyurappa were lauded by Shah.
Shah also laid the foundation stone virtually for CAMPCO’s New Agri Mall, coconut unit in Puttur and multipurpose godown in Badravati.
Chief minister Basavaraj Bommai said, "To strengthen the areca research center and prevent the pest attack by constituting tye experts commitee, the special grants will be reserved in the coming budget.
"Arecanut is grown on 6.11 lac hectares in the state. To check the white blight disease, Rs 10 crore has been given. Relief to farmers of Kanebane agri field. The revenue department has been asked to give compensation to the farmers of Kanebane and Soppinabetta agri field. The government has the commitment to protect the interests of these farmers.
"CAMPCO was started for the people and it is happy to note that it has completed 50 years. A big kudos to Subraya Bhatta, the founder of this company. Amidst the capitalism and communism, it is important to promote the cooperatism. The cooperation field is by the people and for the people. The CAMPCO was started in 1973 and it had been protecting interest of the areca growers of this region. In 1980s, the chocolate factory was started by buying the cocoa from farmess and now is the only factory in the country to manufacture 26000 metric tons of chocolate. The company has been into the processing of black pepper, coconut oil and rubber, and giving the economic stability to the people. The CAMPCO factory is working as a mother in this region. Now the areca plantation has been extended to North Karnataka.
"Union minister Amit Shah has been a member of a village society and this shows his commitment towards the field. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, there is a dream to achieve 5 trillion dollar economy in the current Amrit Kal. The cooperation field plays an important role in achieving this task," he said.
Earlier, a large number of people gathered at Kenjar circle to welcome Amit Shah earlier when he landed at Mangaluru International Airport. Public welcomed him in Kenjar before he reached Sri Devi College Kenjar for party meeting.