Farmer Takes MB Patil To His Farm, Offers Flowers And Tender Coconut In Gratitude
Patil had visited the village to attend the annual jatre at Manenadoddi when Vasanth approached him and warmly invited him to his farm. Once there, the farmer showed the minister the flowering plants and other crops growing on his 16-acre holding
Vijayapura: For farmer Vasanth Beerappa Mane, the flowers blooming in his farm are more than just a crop. They are a reminder of how access to irrigation, which he credits to the efforts of Minister MB Patil, changed the course of his life.
The farmer from Manenadoddi near Siddapur in Tikota taluk gave a personal touch to Minister MB Patil’s visit to the village by taking him to his farm and presenting him with flowers and tender coconuts grown on his own land.
Patil had visited the village to attend the annual jatre at Manenadoddi when Vasanth approached him and warmly invited him to his farm. Once there, the farmer showed the minister the flowering plants and other crops growing on his 16-acre holding.
Vasanth said he once had little choice but to leave his own land and travel to neighbouring Maharashtra for wage work as his farm had no irrigation facility. He recollected that several farmers in the area were in a similar situation, owning land but struggling to make a living from agriculture because of the lack of water.
The irrigation projects taken up when Patil was Water Resources Minister (during the first Siddaramaiah government), he said, had changed that situation. Even though the region was now facing drought, farmers with irrigation facilities were able to continue cultivation without feeling its full impact.
“My parents gave me life, but MB Patil, during his tenure as the Water Resource Minister helped make that life better by bringing irrigation to our fields,” he told the minister.
Today, flowers bloom in Vasanth’s farm and tender coconuts hang from the trees. During the month of Shravana, he said, the flowers alone bring him an income of around Rs 4,000 a day. He also grows sugarcane, coconut and vegetables and has been able to build a more self-reliant livelihood through farming.
As a gesture of gratitude, Vasanth presented the flowers and tender coconuts from his farm to MB Patil.
Patil, recalling an earlier visit to the same farm a few years ago, said he was happy to see the farmer’s agricultural and horticultural activities flourishing.
“The warm welcome and affection shown by him made the visit even more special. The simplicity, gratitude and hospitality with which he showed me the flowers grown in his farm and offered tender coconut were truly touching,” Patil said.