Coffee Board member demands release of crop damage compensation to growers in Kodagu
In a press release, he said it is ridiculous that recently Madikeri constituency MLA Manthar Gowda, along with a delegation of growers, met Coffee Board president MJ Dinesh and submitted a request regarding the hardships faced by the growers. He urged the MLAs to stop submitting requests but put pressure on the govt and rush to the aid of the farmers.
On July 3, Dinesh, along with Udupi-Chikkamagaluru MP Kota Shrinivass Poojary, Kaup MLA Suresh Shetty, Coffee Board members, and board CEO Kurmarao, went to Delhi and met Union commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal.
They submitted a petition regarding the problems and challenges faced by coffee growers and requested him to come and provide assistance, and the minister responded well, he said.
The Union govt has already released NDRF funds to the state govt. However, Kishore Kumar alleged that two MLAs from Kodagu are not coming to the aid of coffee growers.
KG Bopaiah and MP Appachu Ranjan, who were MLAs during the previous BJP govt, released at least Rs. 50,000 and Rs. 57,000 to each of the affected growers in two years. He alleged that since the Congress govt came to power in the state, growers and farmers have not received any financial assistance, and compensation money has not been released. The two Kodagu MLAs have not just submitted petitions and kept quiet, but have put pressure on the state govt to take action to distribute the NDRF money released by the central govt to the farmers.
Kishore Kumar has also demanded that the state govt release separate compensation money.
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