Udupi; August 30: After reviewing the areca garden of Kusha Shetty at Shirva,near Udupi,D.V.Sadananda Gowda,former chief minister and opposition leader in the state assembly warned the government that if the government failed to respond to the demand of areca growers by September 5, BJP would not hesitate to take to the street for the cause of the areca growers, which is inevitable, he said
He further said that due to excessive rain, not only the disease of rottening of the tender areca has spread like an epidemic disease in the 5 districts namely Shimog, Chickmaglur, Dakshina Kannada, North Kannada and Udupi, the whole of areca trees has been destroyed.
The government is not doing the work, what it supposed to do. Government should have undertaken the survey of the affected area and announced special package along with compensation to areca growers by this time.
He also said that areca growers never faced tragedy like this ever before in their fifty years of history in areca cultivation.
Since three months, due to continuous rain, farmers were not able to spray the pesticides to the crop. Under the circumstance, if the government does not interfere, the days are not far ahead to witness the instances of suicides by areca growers, he added
Continuing his speech, he said that congress has won with the votes of the people from all these five districts but now they have forgotten them.
He also urged CM Siddaramaih to undertake a detailed study of problems of areca growers and the losses suffered by them. The yellow disease has spread to the areca tree roots destroying 50-60% of areca nuts and demanded a minimum compensation of Rs 50,000 per acre of land.
Former CM, said that the proposal seeking compensation will be forwarded to the Union Government through CM Siddaramaiah. The Union Government will certainly announce compensation, if the state government reciprocates in the right manner, he said.
