Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) and Hasiru Sene have resolved to launch a Delhi Chalo on February 26 in a bid to pressurise the Union government to fulfil their long-pending demands.
Addressing presspersons in Dharwad on Wednesday, State vice-president of KRRS Ningappa Divatagi said that following drought, the farmers in the State are in distress as they have incurred heavy crop loss.
And, to add to their problems, there is a shortage of fodder and also, drinking water scarcity, he said.
Mr. Divatagi said that such being the case, the farmers are in no position to repay their loans and the government, in consideration of the plight of the farmers, should waive their crop loans.
He also pointed that although months have passed after the visit of the Inter-Ministerial Drought Study teams to the State, both the Centre and State governments have not released any crop loss compensation.
He urged the government to give a compensation of ₹25,000 per acre for crop loss and remit it to their bank accounts. He also urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to sack his Cabinet colleague Shivanand Patil for his irresponsible comments on farmers.
Mr. Divatagi said that with the Lok Sabha elections coming, political parties in both the State and Central governments have forgotten the woes of farmers and already switched to election mode.
He said that KRRS will field a candidate from Dharwad Lok Sabha constituency.
