Bannanje Raja performs his mother’s last rites amidst tight police security
Udupi, August 27: Following the permission from the principal district and sessions court, the police have brought fugitive don Bannanje Raja who is in Belagavi Hindalga jail, to perform his mother’s last rites at his home at Kalmadi and Malpe graveyard, here on Monday.
His mother Vilasini Shettigar died after falling at her home at Kalmadi on August 25. Following his mother’s death, Raja has appealed the court through his advocate Shantaram Shetty on August 26 for permission to participate in the cremation and last rites of his mother and the court has granted the permission. The police have brought him from the Hindalga jail to Udupi on Sunday midnight and put him in the city police station lock-up.
On Monday morning, the police took him to his house at Kalmadi and allowed him to participate in the cremation of his mother. After paying tribute to his mother, he performed the last rites of his mother along with his brother Arun. His father Sundar and family members were present.
The police have taken him in police vehicle to the graveyard and his home in the evening amidst tight police security. Later, he was brought to city police station. His wife Sonam was also present at the house. He will be kept in the lock-up on Monday night and the police would take him to Hindalga jail on Tuesday morning.
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Banana farmers in Karnataka struggle with crop damage due to extreme cold
Bengaluru: Banana farmers in Karnataka are grappling with crop damage as extreme cold weather this winter threatens their harvests.
Horticulture officials stated that over 25 percent of the banana crop, particularly those at the early growing stages, would be affected as temperature dipped below 12°C, as reported by Deccan Herald on Monday.
Farmers are concerned that the ongoing cold snap could lead to long-term consequences, including a reduction in exports. Wholesale merchants have noted that the severe cold has caused banana fruits to discolour, resulting in lower market quality and a slump in export demand.
Karnataka, the third-largest banana producer in India after Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, yielded 29.73 lakh metric tonnes in 2023-24, DH mentioned. The state's banana-growing areas include Chikkamagaluru, Shivamogga, Mysuru, and Hassan, as well as Kalaburagi, Yadgir, Bidar, and other parts of North Karnataka, where irrigation facilities support production.
“I have grown Cavendish bananas on three acres by investing Rs 4.5 lakh. I have lost a part of the crops due to heavy rainfall in August last year. Now, I am finding it difficult to get returns on my investment due to foggy and cold conditions,” Gulappa Mahadevaswamy from Dodda Katuru village in Mysuru taluk, was quoted as saying by DH.
Banana exporter Alisab Choudhari explained that cold temperatures are causing significant market rejection of the fruit, as the bananas are turning reddish and losing its quality. A farmer Shankar Myakeri from Afzalpur taluk said that around 40 percent of the crop on his 10-acre farmland would likely be damaged due to extreme cold.
Santosh Inamdar, Deputy Director of the Kalaburagi Horticulture Department, stated that approximately 4,000 hectares of banana crops in the district were more susceptible to severe cold, especially where the soil lacks zinc and boron. He advised farmers to use these micronutrients to help mitigate the damage and encourage better growth.
In light of the growing concerns, farmers have called on the government to purchase bananas at a support price to ease the financial burden. They have also demanded that a separate board be established to protect the interests of banana growers.
Meanwhile, K.B. Dundi, Additional Director of the Horticulture Department (Fruits), reassured that while damage to banana crops during winter is common, the situation is usually temporary. “It is a matter of two weeks for them to recover once summer starts,” he added.
