Bengaluru, September 8: Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar made a surprise early-morning visit to the Yeshwanthpur APMC market on Tuesday, heard grievances from farmers and traders, personally checked the weighing of onions and ordered the dismissal of a self-help society secretary over alleged negligence that resulted in crop insurance claims of 93 farmers being rejected.
During the visit, Shivakumar interacted with onion, garlic, potato and coconut growers who had brought their produce to the market, besides traders and mandi owners, and questioned them about prices, commissions, weighing practices, transport-related issues and payments to farmers.
A farmer from Ittanahalli village told the Chief Minister that farmers had paid their crop insurance contribution to a self-help society, but the money had not been remitted to the DCC Bank. As a result, they received messages stating that their insurance had been rejected.
After examining the list of farmers who had made the payments, Shivakumar directed that the official responsible for the negligence be dismissed. According to the information provided, crop insurance claims of 93 farmers were affected.
The Chief Minister also directly questioned farmers about their experience in bringing produce to the market. He asked whether police stopped them and collected money while they transported onions, whether farmers were paid on time, whether market operators charged commissions, how much cultivation cost per acre and whether produce was weighed correctly.
Shivakumar then personally checked the weighing of onions at the market.
Farmers told him that commissions of ₹8 to ₹10 were collected in markets in Kalaburagi, Bidar and Vijayapura, while farmers were not charged commission at the Yeshwanthpur market. They said this was one of the reasons they brought their produce to Bengaluru.
The farmers also told the Chief Minister that onion yields had fallen sharply because of deficient rainfall. Normally, they said, an acre could yield between 150 and 200 packets of onions, but this season they had obtained only about 50 packets.
They explained that excessive rain could also damage onions by causing the crop to rot in the field, leaving farmers without a remunerative price. In such circumstances, they said, the returns could be insufficient even to cover the cost of transporting the produce to the market.
During another interaction, Shivakumar asked whether farmers were taking crop insurance. A farmer from Challakere taluk in Chitradurga district told him that despite paying ₹6,500 per hectare towards insurance, he had received no benefit. The Chief Minister directed officials to collect the farmer’s details and examine the matter.
Several farmers praised Shivakumar’s visit, telling him that no minister or Chief Minister had visited the market in the past 30 years to personally inquire about their problems. They said they were pleased that he had come to inspect the situation.
Shivakumar also spoke to mandi traders about payments made to the APMC. When he asked how much they paid, some traders said they paid 60 paise for every ₹100, while another trader said he paid ₹1.
“If anyone is collecting more money like that, tell me. I will set them right,” Shivakumar told the traders.
The Chief Minister also raised concerns about direct purchases from farmers outside the APMC system. He was told that some buyers purchase produce directly from farmers after fixing a price but manipulate the weight while taking delivery.
Shivakumar directed officials to take steps to ensure that farmers are not cheated in weighing when produce is purchased directly from them.
During his interaction with Anjanappa, an onion farmer from Hosahatti village in Kudligi, Shivakumar asked how he arranged water for his crop. The farmer said he had built a house on his farm and had applied three times for an electricity connection but had still not received one. He added that around 10 other houses faced a similar problem.
The Chief Minister directed officials to obtain the farmer’s details and assured him that electricity connections would be provided.
Referring to his Prajaseva programme, Shivakumar asked why the farmer had not submitted an application there stating that he had not received an electricity connection. “Do not worry. Electricity connections will be provided to everyone,” he assured him.
Shivakumar also asked the farmer whether the woman head of his household was receiving ₹2,000 every month and whether the family was receiving 10 kg of rice. The farmer said the family was receiving benefits under the guarantee schemes and that the assistance had been useful.
About the Author
