CM Siddaramaiah seeks PM Modi's intervention for Bengal gram procurement
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to immediately approve the procurement of Bengal gram (Chana) under the Price Support Scheme (PSS).
In his letter, the chief minister said he was writing in view of the deep distress for lakhs of Bengal gram growers in Karnataka, whose livelihoods are facing crisis due to prices ruling well below the MSP during the current Rabi marketing season.
He pointed out that Bengal gram is one of the principal pulse crops in the state, cultivated over 9.24 lakh hectares with an estimated production of 6.27 lakh metric tonne, sustaining farmers across districts, including Dharwad, Gadag, Belagavi, Vijayapura, Kalaburagi, Yadgir, Bidar, Raichur, Koppal, Ballari, Chitradurga, Bagalkote, Davanagere and Chikkamagaluru.
Despite the Centre declaring an MSP of Rs 5,875 per quintal for Bengal gram for the Rabi marketing season 2026-27, Siddaramaiah said the market prices in Karnataka were significantly below MSP, ranging between Rs 4,260 and Rs 5,813 per quintal.
ALSO READ: Upa Lokayukta raids uncover alleged ₹200 crore government land scam in Mandya; five officials arrest
He noted that in several APMC markets, farmers were being forced to sell their produce from Rs 800 to Rs 1,200 below MSP, even before peak arrivals had begun.
"This price erosion is not merely a market aberration, it is a human crisis. When the declared MSP does not translate into real procurement on the ground, it erodes farmers' faith in the institutional framework meant to protect them," Siddaramaiah said in his letter addressed to PM Modi on 14 January, a copy of which released to the media on Thursday.
With harvest arrivals set to intensify between January and March, he cautioned that there was a genuine risk of further price collapse, aggravating rural distress.
Urging immediate intervention, Siddaramaiah called upon the Centre to approve procurement under the PSS and direct central nodal agencies.
"I urge the Government of India to immediately accord approval for procurement of Bengal gram under the Price Support Scheme and direct Central Nodal Agencies such as NAFED and NCCF to operationalise procurement centres in Karnataka without delay," he said.
The chief minister assured full cooperation from the state, stating that Karnataka had already issued necessary notifications, designated state agencies, and furnished all undertakings as per PSS guidelines.
He said the state was ready to facilitate farmer registration, warehousing, transportation and exemption of state levies to ensure smooth procurement.
"Procurement at MSP is not merely an administrative exercise, it is an affirmation of the nation's commitment to the dignity of its farmers," Siddaramaiah said.
He urged the Prime Minister to approve MSP procurement at the earliest to protect farmers from distress sales, stabilise markets and uphold the credibility of the MSP regime.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
UK imposes study visa bans on Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar, Sudan
London (PTI): The UK on Wednesday imposed a study visa ban on four countries accused of using the route as a backdoor entry to seek permanent refuge in the country, as part of a wider clampdown on the soaring rates of asylum applications.
The so-called "emergency brake" on student visas applies to Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan, with Afghans also subject to a skilled worker visa ban following a major surge in asylum claims from these countries.
The move comes as UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood introduces new legislation in Parliament this week, with the visa brake to be introduced via an Immigration Rules change on Thursday to come into force on March 26.
"Britain will always provide refuge to people fleeing war and persecution, but our visa system must not be abused," said Mahmood.
“That is why I am taking the unprecedented decision to refuse visas for those nationals seeking to exploit our generosity. I will restore order and control to our borders,” she said.
According to official statistics released by the Home Office alongside the visa ban announcement, asylum applications by students from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan rocketed by over 470 per cent between 2021 and 2025 – making them among the most likely nationalities to claim asylum.
Meanwhile, the number of Afghans on work visas claiming asylum now outstripping the number of visas issued.
In what has been described as an “unprecedented step”, the Home Office said it will end sponsored study visas from all four countries and skilled worker visas for Afghan nationals.
“Tough action is required as asylum claims from legal routes have more than trebled since 2021 – making up 39 per cent of the 100,000 people who applied last year. In total, 133,760 people have claimed asylum after arriving legally in the past five years,” the Home Office said.
It said these refugees end up having to be accommodated at the expense of the British taxpayer, with an “above average proportion” of people from the four countries claiming destitution.
“Asylum support is currently costing more than 4 billion pounds a year – with nearly 16,000 nationals from the four countries currently supported at public expense, including over 6,000 in hotels," it added.
According to official data, between 2021 and the year ending September 2025, the proportion of Afghan asylum claims to study visas issued was 95 per cent, applications by students from Myanmar soared 16-fold over the same period and claims by students from Cameroon and Sudan spiked by more than 330 per cent.
The government pointed to its success in reducing student asylum claims by 20 per cent over the course of 2025, but stressed that further action is needed as those arriving on study visas still make up 13 per cent of all claims in the system.
The visa ban announcement comes on the back of Mahmood's announcement earlier this week that asylum status in the UK will be temporary, to be reviewed after 30 months.
