Why has BJP not responded to plight of areca nut-coffee growers, asks Jayaprakash Hegde

Balehonnur: Congress candidate K Jayaprakash Hegde, contesting from the Udupi-Chikkamagaluru Lok Sabha constituency, questioned why the government in power at the Center for the past ten years has not undertaken any initiatives to address the plight of Malenadu’s areca nut and coffee growers.

Speaking at an election campaign meeting organized by the Congress party in Jaycee Circle of the town, he said, “Earlier, when the UPA government was in power, it supported coffee growers by providing the Vidarbha package. During the UPA period, I invited Gorak Singh committee to the Malnad region to assess the challenges faced by areca nut crops.”

“However, the BJP government that followed did not make any attempts to implement the Gorak Singh report. Despite the Areca Nut Research Center being located in the constituency, its development has been neglected. Additionally, even though the constituency’s MP serves as the Minister of Agriculture, no efforts have been made,” he complained.

Former Mudigere MLA M P Kumaraswamy also addressed the gathering. MLA T D Rajegowda, KPCC Spokesperson Sudhir Kumar Murolli, Member P R Sadashiva, District Congress President Dr K P Anshumanth, and others were present.