B.R. Patil wants Siddaramaiah to lead campaign for MSP legal guarantee
Addressing presspersons in Kalaburagi on Wednesday, Mr. Patil said that Mr. Siddaramaiah made his political debut through a farm movement and also comes from an agricultural background.
He should continue to be the voice of farmers and press the Union government to enact a law for guaranteed buying of their crops at MSP.
Welcoming Mr. Siddaramaiah's decision to withdraw a move to acquire 1,777 acres of fertile agricultural land in 13 villages of Channarayapatna hobli of Devanahalli taluk in Bengaluru Rural district, Mr. Patil reiterated that the Congress is standing by farmers to protect their interest and it will continue to support them.
The BJP government during its tenure in 2010 acquired 1,500 acres of agricultural land in the villages of Honna Kiranagi, Nadi Sinnur and Firozabad in Kalaburagi district for establishing a thermal power plant. But it failed to bring any mega project or industry, he said.
Mr. Patil demanded that the government establish an agriculture university on the acquired land.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
18 minutes ago
- Time of India
New Bill to boost construction equipment industry on the cards: Gadkari
New Delhi: The Union government is working on a new Bill to support India's construction equipment (CE) industry, Roads and Highway Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Thursday. The move aims to reduce the imports, particularly from China, and enhance the sector's competitiveness through targeted policy measures. 'We will frame rules and regulations for it. Our Bill will be released in the next session. Once it is approved, the standards will be set. You will not have to face the problems you are facing today. The standards will be set. Once the Bill is approved, all your worries will be solved,' the minister said. He was speaking at the annual session of the Indian Construction Equipment Manufacturers' Association (ICEMA), the apex industry body representing over 150 members, including 95 per cent of the country's OEMs and component manufacturers. India's construction equipment industry , valued at approximately $9 billion, has been facing the heat in recent years from Chinese imports. According to experts, the share of Chinese imports has risen to approximately 25 per cent in segments like excavators. Last year, major domestic players like Tata Hitachi also flagged concerns over the surge in cheaper imports from China. Speaking on efforts to decarbonise the sector, Gadkari said the government is considering a 10 per cent machinery advance for OEMs shifting to flex engines and clean fuels, along with zero per cent interest loans for equipment buyers using alternative fuel technologies. Industry growth Gadkari acknowledged that last year's slowdown in the industry was due to the cancellation of the Bharatmala project , but added that it should not affect progress this year. 'That problem has been solved. We have awarded ₹2 lakh crore so far. Now we will award another ₹5 lakh crore taking the total to ₹7 lakh crore by year-end.' 'We aim to award road projects worth ₹10 lakh crore every year,' he added. Retail sales of construction equipment (CE) grew marginally to 24,568 units during April-July 2025, up from 24,240 units in the same period last year, according to data from the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA). The minister urged the CE industry to invest in high-capacity machinery for tunneling and pre-cast construction, 'We are building tunnels worth ₹3 lakh crore, but machinery availability remains a bottleneck. European nations have advanced tunnel boring equipment, we need to adapt such machines for Indian conditions. Pre-cast is now mandatory in many projects, requiring specialised machinery. I urge your industry to step up in these areas.' Giving reference to a recent study, he noted that the country's logistics costs have declined from 16 per cent due to enhancements in road infrastructure. He added that the government is working to reduce this further to 9 per cent by December. Skill training Gadkari also advised industry players to provide training and develop skillsets among equipment operators. 'It is very important to give skill training to these people. You should have a three-month course at the regional level on how to operate it, especially in areas where you have strong sales. Come to me, I will give you approval from the Indian government,' he said. Unlike road vehicles, the operation of heavy construction machines currently does not require any formal licensing or regulatory mandate.
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Manipur MP Bimol Akoijam: ‘Rs 500 crore for rehabilitation adds to humiliation … need much larger economic package'
The Lok Sabha on Thursday passed the Manipur Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2025, and the Manipur Appropriation (No.2) Bill, 2025, amid protests by the Opposition over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Both pieces of legislation were cleared by voice vote without discussion. Inner Manipur MP from Congress Bimol Akoijam spoke to Deeptiman Tiwary about the development It is unfortunate to say the least. The crisis has affected Manipur in all spheres, and its economy has been severely affected. It will take decades to recover. We need substantial support from the Centre. The Union government must discharge its constitutional and moral responsibility towards its citizens in the state. The voice of the people of the state must be heard, most importantly, given a chance to be heard. Forget about MPs like me, did the Finance ministers consult their own MLAs and party leaders in Manipur for this budget? For heaven's sake, Manipur is not a vassal state; it's a constituent state of the Union. 2. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the Opposition was shedding 'crocodile tears' for Manipur while stalling the House. How do you respond to that charge? I am sorry to say that the Finance Minister should not have indulged in such rhetoric that trivialises a serious issue such as the economy of the crisis-affected state of Manipur, and bulldozed a budget without discussion under the cover of a legitimate protest against SIR by the opposition. I must say, how the budget has been passed today is a reflection of the overall orientation and response of the Government of India under the BJP to the unprecedented crisis in Manipur, something that the country has not seen in its postcolonial history. 3. The Appropriation Bill includes over `500 crore for rehabilitation and over `500 crore for security. Do you believe these allocations reflect the actual needs on the ground? This `500 crore for rehabilitation is adding to the humiliation that the people of the state have been going through over the last two years. See, about 60,000 people have been rendered homeless and displaced, thousands of houses and hundreds of villages have been destroyed. Besides the loss of life, these internally displaced persons are going through unprecedented hardships, such as losing their means of livelihood. From the issue of their day-to-day needs, the issue of health and education of the children, do you think the amount mentioned in the budget helps… It is a cruel joke; it's nothing but sprinkling salt to the wound! We are not begging; we are only asking what a responsible, democratic national government must do for its citizens. The budget should have a much larger economic package for the IDPs, besides measures to rejuvenate the economy of the state. Measures such as the exemption of income tax for at least a decade to boost the economy should have been there in the budget, especially in the face of the crisis. 4. Were you or other Manipur representatives consulted on these bills before they were brought to the House? No, we were not consulted. That itself reveals the central government's approach — unilateralism, not federalism. It's deeply ironic that in a so-called cooperative federation, representatives from the state in question are kept in the dark while decisions are taken in Delhi by people far from the realities on the ground. This isn't just about disrespecting MPs — it's about silencing the voice of an entire state and abdication of responsibility by the Union government towards the nation itself. 5. What would you have said in the Lok Sabha today, had there been a discussion on these bills? Besides the issues I have raised above, I would have said that the crisis in Manipur is not merely about law and order — it is a crisis of constitutional governance, of moral leadership, and of democratic accountability. I would have demanded answers: Why has there been no comprehensive political initiative and adequate socio-economic measures to address the crisis? Why are thousands still displaced, months after the violence started? And most importantly, how long will the people of Manipur be treated as if they do not matter in this country?
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Siddaramaiah slams mob attack as SIT continues probe at Dharmasthala
Bengaluru: A violent clash between two groups near Dharmasthala on Wednesday evening has prompted strong reactions from the state's top political leadership, even as the Special Investigation Team (SIT) continues its probe into allegations of mass burials and sexual assault spanning two decades. Workers leave from a site of an alleged burial related to the Dharmasthala mass burial case, at Dharmasthala, in Dakshina Kannada district. (PTI PHOTO) Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday assured action in against those responsible for the violence. 'Whoever has committed a crime, action will be taken in accordance with law,' he said. The incident occurred at Pangal Cross, not far from the home of a college student who was raped and found dead in Dharmasthala in 2012. Four individuals, including a cameraperson and three men associated with YouTube channels, were attacked by a mob while interviewing a local resident in connection with the SIT probe. Police said the situation quickly escalated and the mob started pelting stones, forcing them to intervene with a mild lathi charge to disperse the crowd. Later that night, one of the groups staged a protest outside the Dharmasthala police station, demanding action be taken against those maligning the reputation of the town. Due to tension over the clash, the SIT didn't conduct any searches on Thursday. The searches are expected to continue after adequate security is deployed, police officers said. Home minister G Parameshwara acknowledged the seriousness of the situation. 'There seems to be some kind of conflict there. Why is it happening? We don't know,' he said. He added that complaints and counter complaints had been filed and that police had been instructed to investigate the cause of the clashes, identify those responsible and submit a detailed report. Parameshwara also outlined the scope and progress of the SIT probe. The government had formed the team following public pressure and judicial directions, after a man claiming to be a former sanitation worker alleged that he had been forced to bury multiple bodies—some allegedly showing signs of sexual assault -- between 1995 and 2014 in individual's statement was recorded before a magistrate under Section 164 of the CrPC, lending legal weight to his claims. Based on his inputs, the SIT has identified and carried out exhumations at 13 sites. 'So far, skeletal remains of a male were discovered at the sixth location and it has already been reported in the media. Nothing was found at other locations, except for some remains near a hill. All those remains have been sent to FSL by the SIT,' the home minister said. Responding to questions about inflammatory comments and misinformation surrounding the case, Parameshwara said, 'What comments others make is not important. What is important is that the SIT has to conduct a probe technically and they are doing their job.' The Supreme Court will hear a plea challenging a recent order of the Karnataka high court quashing a media gag on reportage surrounding the controversial Dharmasthala mass burial case, on Friday. The high court on August 1 set aside an earlier gag order by a Bengaluru civil court restraining reportage on the case. 'Around 8,000 YouTube channels are running defamatory material against the Dharmasthala temple,' an advocate submitted before a bench headed by Chief Justice B R Gavai and sought urgent listing of an appeal against the high court order. (With PTI inputs)
