Ahead of the State budget, farmers in Mysuru have submitted their wish list to Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.
The State Sugarcane Growers’ Association has sought health insurance to the families of all sugarcane growers in the State besides minimum support price for farm produce as done in Telangana, Punjab and Tamil Nadu.
The association has also sought a new farm loan policy for benefiting farmers, who are in distress.
In a letter to the Chief Minister, Association President Kurubur Shanthakumar suggested that the government take steps to deduct one rupee per tonne of sugarcane sold to sugar factories and an equal amount can be contributed by the government for introducing the health insurance scheme for the sugarcane growers’ families. This will reduce the burden on the government and also make it more effective than the Yashaswini health insurance scheme.
He cited the example of Telangana which has introduced a ₹5 lakh healthcare scheme for farmers.
The leader also suggested opening of procurement centres for buying all types of farm produce at support price as done in Telangana, Punjab and Tamil Nadu. The funds that these States get from the Centre for this should be extended to Karnataka and a delegation of State MPs must be taken to the Prime Minister for getting it sanctioned at the earliest, he suggested.
In view of COVID-19, steps must be taken for the banks to release collateral-free loans up to ₹3 lakh on the basis of the RTCs of the farm land, he said, suggesting reforms in farm loan policy.
