Karnataka Prantha Raitha Sangha president Maruthi Manpade has said that the sangha would launch a padayatra from Naragund to Bengaluru in April to protest against the anti-people policies of the State and Union governments.
Addressing reporters here on Monday, he said that the Union government is paying only 50 per cent support price for agriculture produce and it has also instructed the State government not to purchase agriculture produce by paying the support price. The move clearly shows the anti-peoplestand of the Union government, he said.
During the last parliamentary elections, the BJP had promised that it would take all necessary steps to protect the interests of farmers and implement the M.S. Swaminathan Report. But after coming to power, it has not taken even a single step in favour of farmers. “The Union government should remember the fact that more than 3 lakh farmers have committed suicide in the country from 1991, owing to liberalisation policies of successive governments,” he said. “The Chief Minister has not released even a single rupee towards paying subsidy to the farmers owing to the instructions from the Union government,” he alleged. The Union government should take steps to protect the interests of farmers, he said.
