Bengaluru, Nov 27 (PTI) The Karnataka government on Thursday urged the central government to come forward to procure maize and rescue the farmers who are in distress following the severe price crash.
The
state government has already taken steps at its level like opening procurement centres.
The market prices have fallen far below the Minimum Support Price (MSP) declared by the Government of India, creating widespread distress among the cultivators, it said.
“When we are faced with a problem of marketing or using maize produce, the government of India has reduced maize procurement to 30 per cent instead of 40 per cent. The central government policies are causing problems for maize farmers. They are not even giving go ahead for the NAFED to purchase,” Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil said after the Cabinet meeting.
Briefing reporters, he said the Cabinet seriously discussed the central government’s neglect towards maize farmers.
“We urge the central government to come forward to procure maize and they should give the required strength to the state,” he said.
He also urged the Centre to relax the Fair Average Quality (FAQ) norms for green gram and thereby come to the rescue of Karnataka farmers.
The minister further said, regarding maize procurement, the CM has called a meeting of distilleries and ethanol manufacturers in the state on Friday evening.
Maize is used to manufacture ethanol as it is also one of the base raw materials for its production, he said.
One of the main reasons for maize farmers’ issue is ethanol allocation norms, which is disadvantageous to Karnataka despite having capacity. “The Cabinet has taken a serious view of this. The CM has already pleaded before the Prime Minister that it should be increased,” he said.
Detailing Cabinet decisions, Patil said, by adding some urban local bodies and some villages to the Mysuru Mahanagara Palike (Corporation), the Cabinet has approved its conversion into ‘Bruhat Mysuru Mahanagara Palike’ (Greater Mysuru City Corporation).
He said approval was also given to implement the “Operation and Maintenance of Landfill Sites” package works through Bangalore Solid Waste Management Limited (BSWML) at an estimated cost of Rs 100 crore for the proper management of solid waste within the jurisdiction of Greater Bengaluru Authority.
Approval was given to the one time settlement (OTS) under which interest, penalty and other charges will be waived by 100 per cent if the customers of Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board are paying the principal amount of water dues in one go.
The minister said the dues are to the tune of Rs 701 crore. Out of this, principal amount is Rs 439 crore and interest is Rs 262 crore. Three months time limit has been given from the date of issual of the order.
Karnataka Urban Development Authorities (Amendment) Bill-2025 that was okayed by the Cabinet pertains to appoint a “Group-A” officer from the cadre of town planning or municipal officers as the commissioner of the authority, Patil said.
Karnataka Judicial Service (Recruitment) (Amendment) Rules, 2025 that was okayed by the Cabinet was based on the directives of the Supreme Court and the high court, the minister said.
“In the promotions at local courts, 50 per cent should be sitting judges, 25 per cent advocates, and 25 per cent on seniority,” he said.
Also approved was allotment of 5 acres of government land in Murugod village, Savadatti taluk, Belagavi district, free of cost on lease basis for a period of 35 years to ‘Murugod Bangles Makers Foundation’ (SPV) for the establishment of a common facility centre for bangle cluster units.
The Cabinet further okayed release of the state government’s share of Rs.149.31 lakh (15 per cent) out of the project cost of Rs 995.41 lakh.
Approval was granted to undertake the construction work of 114 Ayushman Health Centres across the state under the 15th Finance Commission grant in the year 2025-26 at an estimated cost of Rs 74.10 crore.
The Cabinet has also given its go ahead for the North West Karnataka Road Transport Corporation for the recruitment of 1,000 drivers through direct recruitment.
Among the things that were also approved are: administrative approval to undertake construction of check-dams and lake development works in the districts of Kalyan Karnataka region at an estimated cost of Rs 200 crore; the “Drugs and Cosmetics (Karnataka Amendment) Bill, 2025”; the Karnataka State Haj Committee Regulations, 2025, pertaining to the functioning of the Haj Committee.
Also okayed are the Karnataka State Universities (Second Amendment) Bill, 2025 regarding renaming the Rani Channamma University in Belagavi to ‘Kitturu Rani Channamma University’; the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) “Iron Ore Management Policy in Karnataka Minor Ports-2025” to be followed while exporting iron ore from minor ports in the state. PTI KSU KH
