Distressed onion growers boycott general elections

Onion growers, left teary eyed due to alleged delay in getting the insurance amount under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, have decided to boycott the next General Elections. They said they will not support the ruling parties either at the Centore or in the state.

Gangadharappa, Taluk Panchayat former president and onion grower who had enrolled under the scheme, said two months have lapsed exceeding the stipulated period of one month to avail of the benefit.

Gandadharappa, who hails from Giriyapura in Kadur taluk in the district, told media persons here on Friday here that onion is vastly grown in Kadur and Tarikere taluks. The crop has failed to benefit the farmers due to varying weather condition and it resulted in a huge loss to the growers. Most of the farmers had enrolled under the scheme in 2016-17, he added.

Though the issue was brought to the notice of MP Shobha Karandlaje and MLA C T Ravi, nothing has fructified. Ravi had assured that the amount will be directly credited to the bank accounts, he said.

Nine onion growers from Lakhya village in Chikkamagaluru taluk have received the due amount. But it is still not known on what basis they have availed of the benefit when several others are waiting still, he said.

Gangadharappa, who claimed to have given a petition to Deputy Commissioner G Satyavathi and also met insurance company officials in Bengaluru in this regard, charged that the delay on the part of horticulture department officials is the main cause. According to insurance company personnel, the horticulture department officials are yet to submit a report on crop loss, on the basis of which the insurance firm will proceed further. Moreover, the amount will be decided on the basis of average loss incurred in the last five years which is truly unscientific, he charged.

After much deducing, it has been understood that the scheme is a dubious plan and the onion growers are mulling over boycotting from exercising their franchise in the next election and not to vote for ruling parties in both at the Centre and also in the state, he said.