Protests intensify after Karnataka releases Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu

Bengaluru, May 8: Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa said his government is clear in its stand on extending every possible help to the farmers. The Chief Minister spoke to the farmer-leaders of the state, who wanted their concerns to be heard and addressed, with regard to the problems the agrarian community has been facing in the wake of the COVID-19 lockdown.

"We will soon make our position clear on supporting the farmers. We will not allow any hindrance to come in the way of agriculture activities," Yediyurappa told the farmer- leaders.

The Chief Minister told the delegation that the pre-monsoon activities are in full swing in the state.

The government has also set up help centres and been providing agriculture equipment on rent, the Chief Minister said. In most of the places, at least 80 per cent of the standing crops have been harvested.

Arrangements have been made to bring equipment from neighbouring states to harvest the standing crop, he said.

Yediyurappa said fertilisers and seeds are available in abundance in the state.

He informed the farmer-leaders about the arrangements made to transport flowers, vegetables and fruits to other states.

Similarly, the market has been developed for the farmers to sell their products, said the Chief Minister.

He said the government is working out a compensation for farmers who lost their crops due to hailstorm in Raichur, Koppal and Ballari. Agriculture Minister B C Patil, Horticulture Minister Narayana Gowda, Revenue Minister R Ashoka, Chief Secretary T M Vijay Bhaskar and Development Commissioner Vandita Sharma were also present in the meeting.

Bengaluru, Jan 21: Controversial Mysuru ruler Tipu Sultan will remain in state-syllabus textbooks in the next academic year (2020-21) too. But the government will form another committee to look at the subject afresh.

"Efforts are on to give textbooks and uniforms the day schools open next academic year. After a discussion with the CM, we decided to not make any changes in the textbooks for the upcoming academic year,"said primary and secondary education minister S Suresh Kumar.

No political angle, says minister

However, we will form a committee to look into it again,” said the minister.

Three months ago, Madikeri MLA Appachu Ranjan had written to the minister seeking removal of contents on Tipu Sultan from Karnataka state syllabus books of classes 6,7 and 10. The minister said: “Appachu Ranjan is a five-time MLA. When he sent a letter, it’s my duty to seek an opinion on it. There’s no political angle here.”