Mangaluru, Sept 06: M.R. Poovamma, the leading Indian athlete who won the gold medal at the recently concluded 18th Asian Games in Jakarta in Indonesia, and the silver medal in the mixed relay; received a grand welcome at Mangaluru airport today.

At the welcome ceremony, organized by DK district administration, DK district panchayat, Municipal Corporation, Youth Empowerment, and Sports Department; MLA Vedavyas Kamath, Councillors, Chairman of Alva's Education Foundation Dr. M Mohan Alva, Chairman of Sahyadri Education Foundation Manjunath Bhandary, Poovamma’s parents, Sports coaches and others greeted her.

Medal dedicated to parents - Kodagu: M.R. Poovamma

Achieve this success was possible only through the encouragement and support of my parents. Therefore, I will dedicate these medals to parents and flood-hit victims of Kodagu," she said.

I am delighted by this welcome. I had received the same reception in 2014 as well. Now I have to prepare for the next year’s Asian Championship and World Championship. The decision about the preparation camps will be taken in October. I am looking forward to participate in the Olympics in 2020. That training will begin from next year, "Poovamma said.

"Yesterday I met Prime Minister and sports minister, they encouraged and promised assistance to me," she added.

 

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Bengaluru/Belagavi (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Monday blamed the Centre for the maize growers' problems in the state.

Speaking to reporters on the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha premises in Bengaluru ahead of the Legislative session in Belagavi, he also took a dig at the BJP MPs for keeping mum on the issue.

"The Centre has to answer to the problems of North Karnataka. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and I have taken some strong decisions pertaining to maize procurement which will burden the state government financially, but the Centre has not spoken a word on the issue and the BJP MPs have not raised their voice. Aren't they concerned about it," Shivakumar asked.

The Deputy CM also hit out at the Haveri MP and former CM Basavaraj Bommai for not speaking on the matter.

"Bommai has said that the state government has to buy it, but what's Centre's share? Who decides the Minimum Support Price (MSP)? It's they (Centre) who decide MSP. They have not taken any decision yet," Shivakumar alleged.

He added that the state government will give compensation to the farmers, but the Centre is also responsible.

"Why hasn't Bommai raised the issue in parliament? Why he did not meet the PM and agriculture minister," he asked.

The maize growers have been demanding procurement at Rs 3,000 per quintal.

The current MSP is Rs 2,400 per quintal, and farmers are seeking a Rs 600 bonus. Ahead of the session, the state government announced increasing maize procurement from 20 quintals per farmer to 50 quintals at Rs 2,400 per quintal.

On irrigation related issues, Shivakumar said no one has done as much work as the Congress government has done in the history of the irrigation department of Karnataka.

Meanwhile, the Opposition Leader in the Karnataka Assembly, R Ashoka, charged that the government has become so poor that it is not able to replace the crust gates of the Tungabhadra dam.

"While farmers are committing suicide, the government is in a jolly mood arranging breakfast meetings," Ashoka said while interacting with reporters in Belagavi.

BJP state president B Y Vijayendra said there is a need for discussion on the burning issues of the state during the winter session of the Karnataka Legislature.

"Farmers are in distress due to the bad policies of the state government. It also failed to fulfill its promise to create jobs for unemployed youths.Weavers are also facing challenges," the Shikaripura MLA told reporters in Belagavi.