Bommai okays ₹532 cr to build forum started by Basavanna

Bengaluru

Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai on Thursday approved the construction of Anubhava Mantapa, a forum started at the time of 12th century reformer, Basavanna, at a cost of ₹532 crore, likely to be directed at cementing the support of the dominant Lingayat community.

“The state government has given its approval for construction of Anubhava Mantapa, which has been taken up by Basavakalyan Development Board, at a cost of ₹532 crore. The chief minister instructed for completion of the works within 3 years,” according to a statement by the chief minister’s office (CMO), attributing it to Bommai.

The Anubhava Mantapa is a forum set up by 12th century reformer Basavanna, whose followers are called Lingayats, and who are believed to be the biggest single caste group in the state, accounting for an estimated 17%.

The Lingayats have backed the BJP and particularly BS Yediyurappa who is considered the biggest political leader of the community. The backing of the Lingayat community had helped the Yediyurappa form the first ever BJP government in southern India in 2008 and the community has since been a firm backer of the saffron outfit. However, Bommai is yet to resolve the demands of the Panchamasali, the biggest sub-sect within the Lingayats, who have demanded better reservation opportunities.

The chief minister also said that the registration for additional procurement of ragi or finger millet will begin from Friday.

“Today, I have directed to start registration for procurement of ragi. Around 2 lakh mt of additional ragi will be procured,” Bommai said.

The statements come days after union food and civil supplies minister, Piyush Goyal, made a statement in Rajya Sabha about giving its approval to procure ragi at minimum support price (MSP).

Former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda had on April 1, during the question hour, said that there was no step taken to procure around 7 lakh tonnes of ragi at MSP in Karnataka

“The Karnataka government has informed us that it is procuring ragi at MSP and the Central government has already given the permission,” Goyal said, PTI reported.

The Bommai government was criticised for not procuring Ragi, grown and consumed in several southern districts of Karnataka, where this millet is part of a staple diet.

However, Goyal had said that no permission of this nature had been sought for the procurement of maize.

With just a year to go before elections and amid criticism of still not withdrawing the contentious farm laws, Bommai has been under pressure to quell the anger among the farming community who make up for one of the biggest sectoral vote banks.