Why did Karnataka transfer just Re 1 to 3000 farmers?
- Some 3000 farmers across Karnataka have received just Re 1 in their bank accounts as compensation.
- Agitated and angry farmers have already starting loud protests against the state for the move.
- However, state authorities say that the money was sent just to verify that the bank account exists.
FollowThe sudden transfer of Re 1 to some 3000 farmer accounts has triggered a minor storm in Karnataka, with farmers already starting angry protests and government officials trying to explain the procedure.
For the past few years, farmers in Dharwad and majority of the northern parts of Karnataka have been reeling under severe drought resulting in crop loss worth lakhs of rupees, reports a news channel. Farmers in Dharwad, who were waiting for their crop loss compensation from the state, received a shock of their life when they went collect their compensation amount from the bank. The authorities have deposited a mere Re 1 into their account, while they have lost crops worth lakhs of rupees. Is the state really that penniless or merely mocking them, many of them lamented.Â
It was no isolated case, however. At least 3,000 farmers have received Re 1 in their account under the crop loss insurance scheme.
Kodihalli Chandrashekhar, president of the Rajya Raitha Sangha, condemned the government's "relief". "Does the government think that farmers are beggars? This is an insult to the farming community. Already, compensation to farmers has been over delayed. Depositing Re 1 in their bank accounts is sheer apathy," Chandrashekhar rued.
He warned that if the authorities do not rectify their mistakes, it warrants a Maharashtra-like situation here. Farmers in Maharashtra and elsewhere in the country have been violenting protesting for days now.Â
Meanwhile, Dharward Assistant Commisssioner Mahesh Kharjagi has said that depositing Re 1 was an attempt to verify the bank accounts of the farmers. "Majority of the farmers' bank accounts are not linked with Aadhaar. We deposited Re 1 to verify the accounts of the farmers. Of the 87,000 farmers, the crop loss compensation has been provided to 84,000 farmers," Kharjagi said.
Whether this was a procedural misstep or not, it feels strange that the state decided to go ahead with this idea without informing farmers, who naturally suspect some sort of corruption or mismanagement in the works.Â
It needs to be seen if the full compensation amount will be sent across anytime soon.Â
