Kodihalli Chandrashekhar, State president of Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha, urged the State government to earmark ₹10,000 crore as a revolving fund to purchase farm products at a minimum supportive price (MSP) without any hurdles.

Addressing a press conference in Yadgir on Tuesday (March 24), he said that although the M.S. Swaminathan Commission made recommendations in this regard to the Union government 26 years ago, the government didn’t show interest in implementing the pro-farmer recommendations on the C2+50% formula.

“The State government should now earmark a ₹10,000 crore revolving fund to continuously procure grains under the MSP scheme without turning to the Centre for financial aid,” he stressed.

Referring to the prolonged farmers’ protest against the three farm laws in New Delhi, the farmers’ leader said that such laws haven’t been repealed in the State despite the promise made by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah before the Assembly elections.

The meeting comprising farmers and members of the sangha has been called on March 30 at Bengaluru to discuss long-pending demands, including compensation for crop loss owing to natural disasters, and particularly, the fixation of MSP for farm produce. Based on the meeting’s outcomes, further action will be taken later, he said.

Mr. Kodihalli also demanded that the State government release water from the Basavasagar reservoir to the canals till April 15 instead of April 3, as the products and vegetables need adequate water.