Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje asks Karnataka govt to increase millet exports
Bengaluru(PTI): Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje on Tuesday urged the Karnataka government to support sustainable agriculture by increasing the export of millets.
Her appeal came as the United Nations has declared 2023 as the International year of millets.
Karnataka being a home for Siridhanya'', the government's intent is to reintroduce and promote staple and nutritious food products and increase its export, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare said while inaugurating the Vanijya Utsav .
The event is part of the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav , which is being organised by the Central Commerce Department in collaboration with the Government of Karnataka on the occasion of 75th-year anniversary celebrations of the Indian Independence at The Lalit Ashok here on Tuesday.
Karandlaje said, The state has established six Centres of Excellence under Indo Israel-Netherlands Programme to boost quality and quantity production of Mango, Pomegranate, Flowers, Oil palm etc.
The initiative will make India shine on the global front as a leading producer and innovator of high-quality agricultural products. According to Karandlaje, who is a BJP MP from Udupi-Chikkamagaluru constituency in Karnataka said the state government has been working to formulate an Agri-Export Cell to better target the policy initiatives and to expand its export market reach. She added that her ministry is also actively engaged in the implementation of Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan' Scheme and Prime Minister Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises'.
The Minister assured the Centre's complete support to the Government of Karnataka to help them achieve their objectives. She also said the administration in Karnataka is committed to materialising central government initiatives such as developing districts as export hubs, setting up export development centres and One District one Product' scheme to achieve the goal of Atmanirbhar Bharat, Vocal for Local and Make in India.
Speaking at the function, Karnataka Additional Chief Secretary, Commerce and Industry Department Ramana Reddy said Karnataka has facilitated India's growth through its Information Technology industry.
"Apart from this, we have successfully facilitated the economic growth of the nation through our conducive business environment and business-friendly policies," he said.
The programme was organised by SEPC under the guidance of the Union Commerce and Industry Department.
Eminent people and industry experts from various leading Chambers of Commerce, Industry Associations, Export Promotion Councils attended the event.
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EC role, Hindu vote consolidation among factors for BJP win in Bengal polls: J-K CM Omar
Srinagar (PTI): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday attributed the BJP's West Bengal win to a "significant role" played by the Election Commission (EC), alongside a consolidation of Hindu votes and a fractured minority mandate.
Abdullah also said the INDIA bloc needs to define its role in the political landscape of the country and make it clear whether the opposition alliance was limited to the parliamentary elections or extended to the state elections as well.
Talking to PTI Videos, Abdullah hinted that the EC has compromised its neutrality by conducting the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in West Bengal and linked it to the BJP's gains in the state, claiming large-scale deletion of legitimate voters.
On the performance of the BJP in the just concluded assembly elections, Abdullah said the saffron party has almost nothing to show in southern states.
"So then you look at West Bengal and Assam. Yes, the BJP improved its tally in Assam. There are various reasons for that. You know as well as I do, what those are. West Bengal, I think we need to look at the results very carefully," he said.
"The easiest explanation for the West Bengal result is the serious curtailing of voter list," Abdullah said.
"Voters found their names deleted. People who served in uniform and fought for this country on the borders, who were considered Indian citizens all their lives, were suddenly held to a higher standard and not allowed to vote. Something is not right," he said.
While alleging that the EC played a "significant part" in the results, the chief minister admitted the outcome was multifaceted and noted a consolidation of over 60 per cent of the Hindu vote towards the BJP and a "significant fracture" in the minority vote, particularly in seats where Muslims constitute over 50 per cent of the population.
"There is no doubt that the role of the Election Commission played a significant part in the results but we will also have to look at the other factors," he said.
He said the results of West Bengal cannot be compared to those in other states. "The situation was unique to West Bengal. The SIR that was done, the way in which the voter lists were changed, the sort of minute scrutiny that the Election Commission subjected West Bengal to, the role of the central investigative agencies.
"All of these are situations that at least in recent electoral history of India are unique to West Bengal. So to suggest that we can learn lessons from West Bengal and implement them in other parts of the country, I think would not be correct," he said.
Abdullah had recently said that if the West Bengal results throw a surprise, the role of EC will come under scrutiny.
However, during Tuesday's interview, the chief minister said he still maintains that electronic voting machines (EVMs) do not lead to vote theft.
"What we saw in West Bengal...I know there are a lot of people who believe that the EVMs themselves are flawed. I am not a proponent of that conspiracy theory.
"But I do believe that the Election Commission has done itself no favours in the way in which it has gone about both the process of delimitation and the process of finalisation of electoral rolls," he said and cited the example of delimitation exercise in Jammu and Kashmir or Assam.
"These are clear examples of how the process was done to benefit one party or in the case of Jammu and Kashmir, one party and its allies. And the results speak for themselves. You created seven new seats in Jammu and Kashmir and out of those six seats were won by the BJP. You redrew assembly constituencies to benefit one particular party or its allies. And the same is true for West Bengal as well," he said.
Referring to the INIDA bloc, he said the election results were no new message for the alliance.
"We need to decide what the INDIA bloc is for. Is it only for Parliament or for state elections as well?" he asked.
"What happened in West Bengal is unfortunate. The Congress and TMC fought against each other. Now the Congress agrees with Mamata Banerjee that 100 seats were stolen, but the fact is they fought each other," he said.
Despite the friction, Abdullah reaffirmed the "pre-eminent position" of the Congress within the opposition alliance, dismissing the idea of any other party assuming the mantle.
"The Congress is the only party other than the BJP with a pan-India presence. All of us acknowledge this," he stated.
"To suggest someone else can assume a leadership role would be incorrect. Kharge Sahib is the president of the Congress, and by virtue of that, he assumes leadership of the INDIA bloc meetings. That is the way it should be," the chief minister said.
Abdullah said any 'Common Minimum Programme' would depend on whether the opposition alliance decides to fight state assembly elections collectively, noting that he would share his specific views with the bloc internally rather than through the media.
