Congress MLA Ashok Rai raises concerns over yellow disease in arecanut crops in DK district
Belagavi: Congress MLA from Puttur constituency, Ashok Rai has voiced his concerns regarding farmer suffering from the detection of yellow disease in arecanut crops in 10 villages of Sullia taluk during the discussion on drought in the Legislative Assembly on Friday here at Suvarna Vidhana Soudha.
Rai highlighted that there is 37,317 hectares of land in 10 villages of Sulya Taluk. Of this, 11,449 hectares are agricultural land. Out of this, 5558 farmers have grown arecanut crop in 5111 hectare area and are suffering from yellow disease, he said.
“Even though the yellow disease has been detected in the arecanut crop, no relief has been announced to the farmers so far. Farmers are in debt. The price of arecanut per quintal has come down to Rs 410 from Rs 480-500.” He further demanded that Rs 700 per day should be paid to agricultural workers. “Amidst such conditions, the central government has cleared the nod to import 12 thousand tons of arecanut.”
He highlighted the need for the state agriculture minister to engage with the central government to address the challenges faced by arecanut growers in the state. Rai warned that if the yellow disease spreads from Sullia to Puttur, it could lead to more significant issues.
Additionally, Rai mentioned that the central government has submitted an affidavit in the Supreme Court claiming that nuts contain nicotine. He urged the state government to engage in discussions with the Center to ensure that arecanuts from the state do not contain nicotine, addressing potential health concerns.
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UP Cong holds statewide protest seeking probe into FIR against Swami Avimukteshwaranand
Lucknow (PTI): The Uttar Pradesh Congress on Wednesday staged a statewide protest demanding a fair and transparent inquiry into the FIR lodged against Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati and those who filed the complaint against him.
In a statement issued here, the party said memorandums addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi were submitted through district magistrates in all districts of the state.
Uttar Pradesh Congress spokesperson Manish Hindvi told PTI that the memorandums were handed over through the district administration in all 75 districts.
In the memorandum, the party alleged that Saraswati and his disciples were "unnecessarily harassed and humiliated" by police on the occasion of Amavasya and were prevented from taking a ritual bath (at the Magh Mela). It further alleged that some disciples were manhandled and taken to a police station.
The memorandum also claimed that an FIR was later registered against Saraswati, his disciple Swami Mukundanand Brahmachari and several unidentified persons in a sexual harassment case. It termed the case a "conspiracy" aimed at tarnishing the seer's reputation.
Citing Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution, the memorandum stated that these provisions guarantee religious freedom and the right of religious denominations to manage their own affairs.
It described the position of shankaracharya held by Saraswati as "one of the highest spiritual posts in Sanatan tradition" and alleged that the entire episode appeared to have been "orchestrated in a planned manner".
"We request that the background of the persons who got the FIR registered be investigated in a transparent manner by a retired high court judge and strict action be taken against them," the memorandum said.
It also sought a "fair and transparent probe" into the allegations levelled against Saraswati so that the truth could be established.
Earlier, Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai had told reporters in Varanasi after meeting Saraswati that the party stood firmly with him.
The Congress said it would continue to press for an impartial inquiry into the entire episode.
On February 21, an FIR was lodged in Prayagraj against Saraswati and his disciple Mukundanand Brahmachari on charges of sexually abusing two persons, including a minor, over the past year at a gurukul and religious congregations, including the recently concluded Magh Mela.
Days after he was booked, Saraswati had said on Monday that he would not oppose his arrest and asserted that the "fabricated story" would be exposed sooner or later.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Saraswati alleged that criminals rule in Uttar Pradesh, level allegations and influence investigations, as he denied having any contact with the two persons for whose alleged sexual abuse he has been booked.
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