Karnataka farmer suicides: Deve Gowda wants Cooperation Minister H C Mahadev Prasad to resign
Bengaluru: Slamming the Centre and the state government for their failure to address farmer suicides, former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda sought the resignation of Cooperation Minister H.C. Mahadev Prasad over his remarks on farmer suicides.
Speaking to reporters here on Friday, Mr Gowda said the minister had even got a secret survey on farmer suicides done to ascertain the reason behind suicides. “Such acts will not bring respect either to the government or to the minister. If the CM is serious, he should get the resignation of the minister, who is misleading the state over suicide figures. In Chamarajnagar, he had the audacity to say that farmers drank and died,’’ Mr Gowda lamented.
While the government statistics put the farmer suicide in Haveri district at 10, Mr Kumaraswamy, who visited the district last week, has distributed compensation to over 65 farmers. “I don’t know how long the CM will put up with such people in the cabinet,’’he said.
Turning his guns on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mr Gowda asked what the PM was doing abroad when farmers are dying and Karnataka was burning. “Wherever he goes, he invites investors with open arms to invest in India. He speaks of opening up 16 sectors. However, on the ground, people are dying because of issues like beef eating and Tipu birth anniversary celebrations,’’ Mr Gowda said.
Slamming the government over making Tipu birth anniversary a state function, Mr Gowda criticised those protesting against writer Girish Karnad over his remarks during Tipu birth anniversary celebrations in Bengaluru recently.
“When Mr Siddaramaiah was in Janata Dal (Secular), we use to celebrate Tipu birth anniversary in the party office and the Congress used to celebrate it in their office. Government was wrong in celebrating it as a state function,’’ he said.
Swaminathan panel to study causes
Agriculture Minister Krishnabyregowda said a committee headed by Dr M.S. Swaminathan will soon study the cause of farmer suicides in state. Addressing reporters here on Friday, he said the committee will look into reasons for suicides and will make suggestions to improve farmers’ living standards.
So far, 832 farmers have committed suicide of which the government has disposed 492 cases and given compensation to 262 farmer families, the minister said.
The Centre has released drought relief of Rs 1,540 crore as against the state government demand for Rs 3,830 crore. Inspite of repeated request by the state, the Centre has released less compensation. Once again the state will request the Centre to release more drought relief, the minister said.
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