Bengaluru, Aug 12: Members of the South India Floriculture Association (SIFA), flower and fruit growers, and vendors on Thursday staged a protest, demanding Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai to withdraw his order banning presenting of bouquets, flowers, garlands and other perishable items like fruit baskets at official functions.
Describing such giftes a "wasteful expenditure", Bommai, in a tweet on Tuesday, said that anyone meeting him or attending government events can gift Kannada books instead.
Twitterati were divided on the decision, with people largely taking sides with flower and fruit growers and vendors, while some of them hailed the move.
At the protest at the city's international flower auction market with sector representatives, holding a bouquet, flower necklace, and fruit basket, termed "this unscientific order" a direct assault on flower-growers who are the one of the worst-affected during the Covid pandemic.
SIFA President T.M. Aravind told reporters that it is a tragedy for the families of thousands of farmers engaged in flower cultivation in the state, as the sector is worst-affected with religious places closed, weddings postponed, major events in public sector and private sector deferred, and no major social and religious functions lined up.
Flower Council of India President Srikanth Bollapalli, who was also at the protest, said that the area under floriculture was expanding at a rate of 7 per cent till 2018-19 while the trade in the sector is growing at a steady pace of 10 per cent per annum but has come to almost standstill due to pandemic.
(IANS/2 days ago) https://www.newkerala.com/karnataka-news.php