Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje asks Karnataka govt to increase millet exports
Bengaluru(PTI): Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje on Tuesday urged the Karnataka government to support sustainable agriculture by increasing the export of millets.
Her appeal came as the United Nations has declared 2023 as the International year of millets.
Karnataka being a home for Siridhanya'', the government's intent is to reintroduce and promote staple and nutritious food products and increase its export, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare said while inaugurating the Vanijya Utsav .
The event is part of the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav , which is being organised by the Central Commerce Department in collaboration with the Government of Karnataka on the occasion of 75th-year anniversary celebrations of the Indian Independence at The Lalit Ashok here on Tuesday.
Karandlaje said, The state has established six Centres of Excellence under Indo Israel-Netherlands Programme to boost quality and quantity production of Mango, Pomegranate, Flowers, Oil palm etc.
The initiative will make India shine on the global front as a leading producer and innovator of high-quality agricultural products. According to Karandlaje, who is a BJP MP from Udupi-Chikkamagaluru constituency in Karnataka said the state government has been working to formulate an Agri-Export Cell to better target the policy initiatives and to expand its export market reach. She added that her ministry is also actively engaged in the implementation of Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan' Scheme and Prime Minister Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises'.
The Minister assured the Centre's complete support to the Government of Karnataka to help them achieve their objectives. She also said the administration in Karnataka is committed to materialising central government initiatives such as developing districts as export hubs, setting up export development centres and One District one Product' scheme to achieve the goal of Atmanirbhar Bharat, Vocal for Local and Make in India.
Speaking at the function, Karnataka Additional Chief Secretary, Commerce and Industry Department Ramana Reddy said Karnataka has facilitated India's growth through its Information Technology industry.
"Apart from this, we have successfully facilitated the economic growth of the nation through our conducive business environment and business-friendly policies," he said.
The programme was organised by SEPC under the guidance of the Union Commerce and Industry Department.
Eminent people and industry experts from various leading Chambers of Commerce, Industry Associations, Export Promotion Councils attended the event.
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Modi govt by changing name of MGNREGA exposed its 'hatred' towards Gandhi: Siddaramaiah
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said that the union government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, attempting to change the name and structure of the MGNREGA, has itself exposed its "hatred" towards the poor and towards Mahatma Gandhi.
He also accused the Centre of "altering" the very structure of the scheme, by shifting nearly 40 per cent of the cost onto the state governments, and called Modi "anti federal".
Suggesting that the NDA government at the Centre start a "Ministry of Name Change", with the Prime Minister himself holding that portfolio, the CM warned of a statewide agitation against this name change move.
The Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill, 2025, that seeks to replace the existing rural employment law MGNREGA, was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday amid strong objections by the opposition to the "removal" of Mahatma Gandhi's name from it.
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"The Union government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which is attempting to change the name and structure of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGA), has itself exposed its hatred towards the poor and towards Mahatma Gandhi," Siddaramaiah said in a statement.
Implemented by the UPA government 20 years ago, the MGNREGA scheme has played a crucial role in eradicating unemployment and poverty in rural areas, he said, adding that "this scheme, which guarantees the right to employment to every individual, has received praise from economists both in India and abroad."
Noting that MGNREGA was a genuine form of employment guarantee, the CM said the proposed new structure under the Modi government strips away that guarantee and places the assurance of work at the whims of political leaders.
"This will further deepen caste discrimination and social inequality," he claimed.
Highlighting that the NDA government has altered the very structure of MGNREGA, a scheme whose entire expenditure was earlier borne by the Central government, by shifting nearly 40 per cent of the cost onto the state governments, Siddaramaiah said this stands as clear evidence of the "anti-federal attitude" that Prime Minister Modi has followed ever since coming to power.
"This move will also increase the migration of poor people in search of work as the proposed form does not guarantee employment in their own location -- forcing families to travel long distances to survive," he said.
Naming this scheme after Mahatma Gandhi, who sowed the dream of Gram Swaraj, was a meaningful decision, the CM said, "While Prime Minister Narendra Modi indulges in praising Gandhi during his foreign tours, within the country he has consistently engaged in attempts to erase Gandhi's legacy from key national programmes. From a parivar that seeks to glorify Gandhi's assassin Godse, what different conduct can one really expect?"
"Narendra Modi is widely known for simply changing the names of landmark schemes launched by the UPA government rather than preserving or strengthening them. It would be more appropriate for this government to start a 'Ministry of Name Change,' with the Prime Minister himself holding that portfolio," he said.
More than 25 flagship programmes launched during earlier governments were merely renamed or repackaged by the present regime, the CM further said, listing out that the Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan was rechristened as the Swachh Bharat Mission, while the Basic Savings Bank Deposit Account scheme was rebranded as the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, among others.
"These changes reflect a consistent pattern of altering names rather than fundamentally strengthening or expanding the original intent of these welfare initiatives," he added.
Stating that the Congress party and state government strongly condemn this "anti-people" decision of the Narendra Modi government, which has snatched food from the plates of the poor, insulted Bapu, and attempted to strangle state governments financially, Siddaramaiah warned about launching a statewide agitation against this move.
"The responsibility of preserving the MGNREGA scheme in its original form must also be taken up by the lakhs of beneficiaries of the scheme. They must hold the BJP leaders of the state accountable and exert pressure on them to raise their voices against this injustice, rising above party lines," he said.
