Ex-PM Deve Gowda writes to PM Modi on plight of mango growers
Bengaluru, Jun 22 (PTI): Former Prime Minister and JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda on Sunday sought PM Narendra Modi's intervention to rescue Karnataka farmers facing steep losses due to poor yield of mangoes, price crashes, and interstate trade disruptions.
In a letter to Modi, Gowda said that Karnataka, a major horticulture hub in the country, especially in the production of mangoes, is witnessing an unprecedented crisis.
He noted that mangoes are grown on 1.39 lakh hectares across districts like Bengaluru Rural, Urban, Chikkaballapura, Kolar, and Ramanagara, with an expected production of eight lakh to 10 lakh tonne during the Rabi season. However, this year, output has fallen by more than 70 per cent due to adverse weather and disease.
"The situation worsened between May and June when market arrivals surged, causing mango prices to plummet from Rs 12,000 per quintal to as low as Rs 3,000 per quintal--far below the cultivation cost of Rs 5,466 per quintal," he said.
Many small and marginal farmers are now unable to recover even their input costs, pushing them into distress and triggering protests in several districts.
The former prime minister also highlighted the additional blow to growers along Karnataka's border due to Andhra Pradesh banning the entry of Totapuri mangoes into its Chittoor district.
"This interstate restriction has disrupted the supply chain and aggravated post-harvest losses," he wrote, adding that the Karnataka Chief Minister and Chief Secretary have already raised the matter with Andhra counterparts, seeking a reversal of the ban.
Calling the situation dire, he urged PM Modi to immediately instruct central agencies like National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (NAFED) and National Cooperative Consumers Federation of India (NCCF) to begin mango procurement under the Price Deficiency Payment (PDP) and Market Intervention Scheme (MIS).
He suggested that procurement should be done directly from farmers and through Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) to ensure fair prices and prevent further rural distress.
The JD(S) patriarch expressed confidence that the Centre would extend timely support to safeguard the livelihoods of mango farmers in Karnataka.
He also wrote a similar letter to Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan.
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Power tariffs under BESCOM to rise from May 1
Bengaluru (PTI): Power bills for consumers under the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) will go up from May 1, following an order issued by the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) on Friday.
The hike comes after KERC allowed the BESCOM to recover a revenue deficit of Rs 2,068 crore incurred in 2024-25, from the consumers.
As a result, for every unit of electricity consumed in 2024-25, the customers will be charged an additional 56 paise, it said.
"BESCOM shall calculate, for each of the active consumers of FY2024-25 the amount to be recovered based on their actual energy consumption during FY2024-25. Such amount shall be recovered during FY 2026-27 in equal monthly instalments, to be called as 'FY25 True up Charges', commencing from the first meter reading date falling on or after 1 May 2026 and concluding with the reading date ending on 30 April 2027," the order said.
"It is further ordered that BESCOM shall maintain a separate head of account, allocated for the purpose, to record the adjustment of the said amount to ensure full recovery of the deficit," it added.
Similarly Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation Limited (CESC) has also recorded a revenue deficit of Rs 121.71 crore and can collect an additional 15 paisa per unit for consumption in 2024-25, official sources said.
