Chief Minister Siddaramaiah visited the site of protest by farmers in Mandya on Tuesday, October 31, and assured to protect the interests of Karnataka’s farmers in the Cauvery dispute.
Mr. Siddaramaiah, who was on a day-long visit to Mandya on Tuesday to inaugurate an inter-district journalists’ conference and hold a progress review meeting in the town, drove to the site of protest by Mandya Jilla Raitha Horata Samithi.
He told the protestors, whose agitation against release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu had begun more than 56 days ago, that the State government will not cling to power by sacrificing the farmers’ interests.
“Protecting the interests of farmers was more important than power for us,” Mr. Siddaramaiah said.
Pointing out that the people of the State were passing through difficult times as the reservoirs could not be filled up on account of the severe drought this year, the Chief Minister said the State government was arguing before the Cauvery Water Regulatory Committee (CWRC) and Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) that Karnataka was unable to release water to Tamil Nadu this year on account of the crisis.
Karnataka had to release a total of 177.25 tmc feet of water to Tamil Nadu every year and the quantum of water to be released each month is also stipulated in the order on sharing of Cauvery waters.
Despite Karnataka’s arguments about its inability to release water to Tamil Nadu in view of the drought, the CWMA had directed Karnataka to release water to Tamil Nadu. While Karnataka had been ordered to release water at the rate of 5,000 cusecs earlier, it was later reduced to 3,000 cusecs and eventually to 2,600 cusecs in a direction issued on Monday.
Yet, Mr. Siddaramaiah said Karnataka will make all efforts to ensure drinking water to its people and save the standing crops in the State.
Pointing out that even he was a farmer’s son and would not sacrifice the interests of farmers to cling on to power, the Chief Minister said the State government will make serious efforts to protect the farmers’ interests.
He said the State government had released ₹50 crore for revival of crushing operations at Mysugar, the State-owned Mysore Sugar company Ltd. in Mandya for the welfare of sugarcane farmers of the region.
Mr. Siddaramaiah was accompanied by Minister for Agriculture N. Cheluvarayaswamy, who is also the Minister in charge of Mandya district, Ravikumar Gowda, Mandya MLA; Narendraswamy, Malavalli MLA; and Dinesh Gooligowda, MLC; when he visited the site of protest.
At the protest site, farmers’ leader Sunanda Jayaram, M.S. Atmananda, former MLA; and a host of farmers’ activists were also present.
