Karnataka budget 2023: Siddaramaiah announces pro-farmer measures after withdrawing BJP’s APMC Act amendment

News Network
July 7, 2023

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Bengaluru, July 7: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who presented his 14th Budget today said that new Congress government in Karnataka expects the Agricultural Produce Market Committees to work in the best interest of the farmers and ensure a fair price for their produce. 

“Our government in its earlier tenure took several measures to strengthen the APMCs and introduced online market system, the first-of-its-kind in the country," CM Siddaramaiah said.

"However, by amending the APMC Act, the previous BJP government weakened the healthy marketing network and created uncertainty in lives of lakhs of farmers who depended on APMCs for their livelihoods. Before the amendment to the APMC Act, the total income of 167 APMCs of the State in 2018-19 was between Rs. 570 crore to Rs. 600 crore, which has drastic D crore to Rs. 193 crores in 2022-23 after the ACT was amended. Besides, there are many instances before us of private companies deceiving and exploiting farmers in the open market. Our government has decided to withdraw the anti-farmer ACt to in order to protect the interest of farmers," CM Siddaramaiah said.

New announcements 

>> Short term interest free loan up to Rs. 3 lakh will now be increased to Rs.5 lakh. Similarly, medium and long term loan at 3% interest up to Rs.10 lakh will now be increased to Rs.15 lakh. Through this revised scheme, approximately, Rs. 25,000 crore worth loans will be disbursed to more than 35 lakh farmers.

>> Government will provide interest subsidy up to 7% on bank loans up to Rs. 20 lakh to farmers for construction of godowns to store produce of farmers and their neighbors.

>> Loan up to Rs. 7 lakh at the rate of 4% Interest will be provided to purchase four wheeled vehicles (pick up van) for transporing-agricultural produce and equipment for farmers for agricultural activities in hilly tracts of Shivamogga, Chikkamagaluru, Hassan, Dakshina Kannada, Kodagu, Uttara Kannada and Udupi Districts.

>> Mini cold storages will be established in collaboration with KAPPEC in 50 selected vegetable markets of the State to prevent distress sale of perishable commodities like fruits, flowers and vegetables and help farmers secure a fair price for the produce.

>> For the economic self-reliance of fisherwomen and to assist them in the expansion of business, interest-free loans provided by banks will be increased from Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 3 lakh.

>> The government will offer subsidized diesel provided to fishermen's boats will be increased from 1.5 lakh kilo litres to 2 lakh kilo litres. This will amount to financial assistance of Rs.250 crore in 2023-24.

>> For the benefit of Silkworm farmers of Chikkaballapura and the Kolar, the government approves 75 crore to set up of a high-tech silk cocoon marketin Sidlaghatta.

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News Network
September 16,2024

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Mangaluru: Police have arrested five miscreants belonging to saffron outfits for pelting stones at a masjid at Katipalla near Surathkal on the outskirts of the city last night. 

The arrested have been identified as Bharat, Chennappa, Nitin, Manu and Sujit all residents of Surathkal and surrounding areas. Among them, Bharat is said to be a rowdy sheeter. 

The miscreants, who came on two motorbikes late on Sunday night, pelted stones at Masjidul Huda, located at 3rd block of Katipalla on the eve of Miladunnabi.  

Confirming the incident, City Police Commissioner Anupam Agrawal said that investigation is in progress and a case has been registered at Surathkal police station.

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News Network
September 16,2024

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In a heart-breaking incident, 19-year-old Shaun D'Souza, a native of Vittalwadi in Udupi's Kundapur taluk, tragically lost his life in the UAE due to heat stroke.

Shaun, the beloved son of Elias Cyril D'Souza and Pramila D'Souza, originally from Hosabettu, Moodbidri, had been pursuing his college education in the UAE.

He was admitted to a hospital in Ras Al Khaimah, approximately 115 km from Dubai, after collapsing from heatstroke. Despite receiving immediate medical attention, Shaun breathed his last on Sunday, September 15. 

He is deeply mourned by his parents and two siblings. The family, who had been residing near St. Mary's Church in the UAE, are grappling with the profound loss. Shaun’s father, Elias, works as a manager for a private company, while his mother, Pramila, is an accountant.

The local community has come together to offer their support and condolences in this time of sorrow.

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News Network
September 12,2024

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The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees says six of its employees are among the at least 18 people killed in a recent Israeli aerial assault on a school in the central Gaza Strip.

In a statement released on Thursday, UNRWA said Wednesday’s Israeli airstrikes targeting the UN-run al-Jaouni school in the Nuseirat refugee camp resulted in "the highest death toll among our staff in a single incident” since the occupying regime waged a genocidal war on Gaza more than 11 months ago.

"Among those killed was the manager of the UNRWA shelter and other team members providing assistance to displaced people," it added.

UNRWA also said the al-Jaouni school, home to around 12,000 displaced Palestinians- mainly women and children, has been hit five times since the Israeli aggression began.

“No one is safe in Gaza. No one is spared,” it emphasized. “Schools and other civilian infrastructure must be protected at all times, they are not a target.”

In an X post, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said the deaths demonstrated “very dramatic violations of the international humanitarian law and the total absence of an effective protection of civilians.”

Meanwhile, UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini said the agency's staff who were killed had been providing support to families sheltering in the al-Jaouni school.

“Humanitarian staff, premises & operations have been blatantly & unabatedly disregarded since the beginning of the war,” he asserted.

Lazzarini further noted that at least 220 UNRWA employees have been killed during the Israeli offensive on Gaza.

The Israeli military claimed that the school had been used by members of the Hamas resistance group to “plan and execute” attacks against the occupation troops.

However, a survivor said the section of the school that was hit by Israel had been “dedicated only to women.”

“All of a sudden there was a huge explosion … Women and children were blown to pieces. We rushed to see our children but found them torn to pieces,” he told Al Jazeera.

Another survivor said she had lost all of her six children in the Israeli attack, adding, “What crime, what wrong did those innocent children do?”

Israel waged its brutal Gaza offensive on October 7, 2023, after Hamas carried out a historic operation against the usurping entity in retaliation for its intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people.

So far, the Tel Aviv regime has killed at least 41,084 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured 95,029 others. 

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