Mangalore, March 29: Chief Minister Sadananda Gowda has betrayed areca growers of Dakshina Kannada district by not granting them the promised compensation package alleged U T Khader, MLA.
He was addressing mediapersons at the DK District Congress office in Mangalore on Thursday.
Stating that areca growers had incurred huge losses in 2011-12 season, due to fruit rot disease (kole roga), Mr. Khader said that Chief Minister Sadananda Gowa had promised a compensation package to them while on his visit to Puttur. “The state government had asked for applications from the areca growers and the district administration even submitted a report to the government about the losses incurred. It even appealed to the government to provide a compensation of Rs 1.75 crores to the areca growers. The Chief Minister had promised the package and it was expected that he would set aside the compensation amount in the state budget but he has failed to do so”, Mr. Khader said.
The MLA added that when he raised the issue in the state assembly on Wednesday, the Chief Minister responded by saying that an all-party delegation would be taken to meet Central leaders to discuss the issue. “If Centre has to do everything what is the state government for then? Why did the state government ask for applications from the areca growers then? They have had to shell out Rs 200-300 for those applications. Representatives of banks and other societies are knocking their doors to recover funds. Can't the state government at least stop them from recovering money from them?” Mr. Khader questioned.
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