Pics: Spoorthi Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (PS)
Mangalore, Jun 15: The district unit of Bharatiya Janata Party, Raita Morcha staged a protest in front of the deputy commissioner’s office here on Wednesday June 15 to raise issues like ban on endosulfan, to provide special discount on price of diesel used for agricultural purposes, discontinue silk import, fix scientific supportive price for paddy, areca nut among other grocery crops, to export cotton and to give up the Netravati diversion project.
Addressing the gathering Shreedhar Gowda, president of endosulfan action committee said that while endosulfan is banned in European countries, the UPA government at the centre is falling prey to lobbying by multinational companies. Severe protest will continue from all corners if the central government sticks to its decision, he added.
Sankappa Gowda, president of Raita Morcha said that with the increase in the price of diesel, farmers are badly hit. The subsidy given for diesel used by fishermen should be extended to agriculturists as they too use it for tractor, pumpset and other agricultural equipment. He also urged the centre to stop import of raw silk from China as it has caused a fall in the price of domestic silk from Rs 350 per kg to Rs 80. Issues like fixation of support price for paddy, areca nut, toor daal, export of raw cotton were also raised.
He strongly condemned the Netravathi river diversion project in DK district and said that such an unscientific step should not be taken.
Prathap Sinha Nayak, Kushalappa Gowda, Nithin Kumar, Keshava Bhat, Suresh Alva among others were present.