Actively engage in farming, Siddaramaiah tells youth, women
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday urged farmers, youth, and women to actively engage in agriculture.
He also called for the restoration of the UPA-era rural employment scheme, MGNREGA under Mahatma Gandhi's name.
Addressing the three-day International Agriculture Fair, Siddaramaiah congratulated all recipients of the Agricultural Scholar awards, calling them role models for other farmers.
He emphasised that agriculture can be highly profitable if farmers move beyond mere crop production and participate in storage, processing, marketing, packaging, and value addition.
Highlighting government support, Siddaramaiah said Karnataka leads the nation in facilitating insurance claims and providing subsidies worth over Rs 1,000 crore.
According to an official statement, he noted that fair procurement prices for crops like sugarcane and maize have been ensured, with the state purchasing millions of metric tons to benefit farmers directly.
Stressing the importance of women and youth, Siddaramaiah said many women have already received awards, and their participation in agriculture and allied sectors should grow even further.
He called on young people to view agriculture not just as a livelihood but as a pathway to entrepreneurship and empowerment.
Siddaramaiah strongly criticized the central government's recent amendment to MGNREGA, which removed Mahatma Gandhi's name and renamed it the "Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Livelihood Mission (Gramin)."
He urged citizens to demand that the original scheme be restored to ensure 100 days of local employment for rural workers.
The chief minister added that India has achieved self-reliance in food production, and Karnataka continues to support farmers through subsidies, quality seeds, fertilizers, and welfare programs including free transport, financial assistance for women, and rice distribution under the Anna Bhagya program.
The CM called upon farmers, especially youth and women, to embrace modern agriculture, strive for excellence, and serve as inspiration for the next generation.
Agriculture Minister N Chaluvarayaswamy highlighted the government's initiatives to empower farmers and boost agricultural production in Karnataka, calling the fair a platform to introduce new schemes to the public.
Chauvarayaswamy said that while Karnataka produced 70-75 lakh metric tonnes of crops in 1970, current production has dropped to 40-60 per cent of demand, forcing the state to import essential commodities.
The minister emphasised that farmers must be able to earn profitable returns through consistent cultivation, branding, marketing, and access to credit facilities.
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UP: Three killed as car plunges into canal in Kanpur
Kanpur (UP) (PTI): Three people, including two brothers, died and another was critically injured when their car veered off the road and fell into the Ramganga canal in Kanpur Dehat district on Friday, police said.
The accident occurred around 3.30 pm near Hari Niwada village. The vehicle, a Swift carrying four people, spun out of control before plunging into the canal.
The deceased have been identified as Rakesh Srivastava (54), a businessman, his brother Radhesh (42) and their driver, Kariya alias Munnu. All three were residents of Gonda district. Rakesh's son Abhishek (26) sustained serious injuries and was admitted to a hospital in Kanpur.
According to the police, the family was returning from a function when the driver allegedly lost control of the vehicle due to overspeeding.
The incident was witnessed by Block Education Officer Ajab Singh, who was driving behind the car. He alerted locals and passersby, who jumped into the canal and broke the rear window of the submerged vehicle to pull out the occupants.
All four were taken to the Community Health Centre in Rasoolabad, where doctors declared three of them brought dead.
Additional Superintendent of Police (Kanpur Dehat) Rajesh Pandey said the rescue operation was carried out with the help of locals. The car was later retrieved from the canal using a crane.
The bodies have been sent for post-mortem and further legal formalities are underway, the officer added.
