No proposals to boost the confidence of distressed farmers: H D Kumaraswamy

Bengaluru: Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy said on Friday that he maiden budget of Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman is disappointing with the state's loss owing to reduction in the share of GST likely to touch Rs 1, 600 crores.

This will be a big blow for all states. With the Union government imposing cess on petroleum products, the scope for state governments' to mobilize resources has diminished further. The much-awaited suburban rail project does not figure in the budget proposals. The budget also lacks programmes to boost the confidence of farmers. Encouraging online markets in APMC and traditional handicraft industries, however, are welcome moves by Ms Sitharaman.

‘Nothing to boost farmer income’
Meanwhile, reacting to the budget, Kurbur Shanthakumar, President, Karnataka Federation of Farmers’ Associations, said the Union government had promised to double the income of farmers by 2022 but has not announced any measure to achieve this in the budget. At a time when farmers are in distress and ending their lives due to drought and floods, the Centre should have taken measures for their upliftment as per the Swaminathan report like fixing of scientific prices for their produce and exploitation of free markets. Nor have any measures been taken to empower rural youth and prevent them from migrating to urban areas.

The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana has not been amended to help more farmers nor has the agriculture loan policy been amended to give loans based on the value of land. The 18 percent GST on fertiliser and manure has not been reduced nor have they done anything to increase the pension given under the Kisan Samman Yojana from Rs 6,000 to Rs 12,000.