Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah unhappy with decline in sericulture farmers in Mysuru region

Siddaramaiah cites example of his native village to highlight the dwindling number of sericulture farmers in the Mysuru region.

Mysuru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah expressed his unhappiness, over the dwindling number of sericulture farmers in the Mysuru region.

Chairing the Mysuru district-level Karanataka Development Programme (KDP) progress review meeting, here, on Friday, the CM said earlier, many farmers in Mysuru and Chamarajanagar districts used to grow mulberry and rear silkworms. “The number of farmers involved in sericulture has declined over the years and the officials concerned should find the causes and resolve them. Why, no one is doing sericulture in my native village of Siddaramana Hundi?” he asked.

A Sericulture department official informed that two farmers in Siddaramana Hundi are involved in sericulture. In reply to the CM’s question, on what they were doing to expand the area under sericulture, the official said that they have taken up extension work in 10 villages to encourage sericulture, with the existing staff.

Animal Husbandry Minister K Venkatesh intervened and said that there is a staff shortage. However, the CM did not buy his argument and said, that alone cannot be the cause.

Siddaramaiah took a Horticulture department official to task, for providing false information. The CM and his son and MLC Dr Yathindra asked, why the official had not done proper homework, before attending the meeting. The official apologised and promised to make amends.

To a question of the CM, on the visits of Agriculture department officials to villages, an official handed over his diary on his visits. After examining the diary, Siddaramaiah asked for photographs of the visits. Even though the photos were shown, the CM was not convinced. He asked, if the farmers had more knowledge than him. The official said, the farmers are more knowledgeable, in practical matters, and they are also learning from the farmers.

Taking stock of the loss, due to heavy rains and inundation this year, the CM asked, if compensation has been paid to the victims. Deputy Commissioner G Lakshmikanth Reddy said, compensation has been paid for the death of a person and also for damage of houses.

Siddaramaiah sought information of last year. The DC said that crops on 95,000 hectares of land was lost, due to drought, and a total compensation of Rs 63 crore was paid to farmers.

Mysuru district in-charge Minister H C Mahadevappa and MLC Dr Yathindra directed the officials, not to neglect the news reports of farmers’ death in the media. “They can be compensated, after verification,” they said.

The officials said, last year 31 cases of farmer suicide was reported and 29 of them were presented before the scrutiny committee. While eight of them were rejected, two are pending, they said.

The CM sought explanation for the rejection. The officials said, some of them had no katha of farmlands, while one of them in Periyapatna taluk had availed a loan in his mother’s name and had committed suicide just four days of availing the loan. The CM and Minister Venkatesh asked the DC to reconsider such cases, and provide compensation.