Vajpayee urged to defend interests of farmers

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE, MARCH 7. The former minister, Mr. M.C. Nanaiah, today made a fervent plea in the Legislative Council to the Prime Minister, Mr. A.B. Vajpayee, to take the lead in defending the interests of farmers at the World Trade Organisation.

Mr. Nanaiah, intervening in the discussion on the falling prices of agricultural produce, commended the Chief Minister, Mr. S.M. Krishna, for his stand on the issue and urged him to convene a meeting of all the chief ministers in Bangalore to initiate a debate on various issues such as the impending removal of quantitative restrictions. Agriculture being a State subject, the States should tell the Centre not to enter into any agreement without their consent.

The National Development Council meetings, he said, had not produced any tangible result on national issues.

Mr. B.L. Shankar said that both the Union and State governments should take a collective decision on this serious problem. Karnataka, he said, should be in the frontline of any national effort concerning the interests of the farmers and the economy.

Mr. Shankar criticised the State Government for hiking the interest rate on NABARD loans given to farmers. There was no need for various cooperative banks such as Land Bank, Apex Cooperative Bank and DCC banks, which were responsible for adding to the interest burden of farmers.

Mr. Shankar and Mr. N. Rajanna (Congress) demanded that all taxes, cess and turnover tax on agricultural produce and items used by the farmers should be suspended for one year.

Mr. B.P. Itagi suggested that agricultural graduates should be involved in extension services by the Government to help farmers increase profitability.

Mr. D.H. Shankara Murthy (BJP) wanted to know how much maize and other foodgrains had been purchased in the market under the minimum support price scheme.

The Agriculture Minister, Mr. T.B. Jayachandra, said 20 lakh quintals of maize, 10,032 quintals of paddy, 19,500 quintals of ragi and 6,150 quintals of bajra had been purchased. Procurement was continuing.

Mr. Vinayachandra (BJP) demanded that the four per cent sales tax, one per cent cess and one per cent turnover tax on arecanut should be suspended for one year to protect arecanut growers.

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