Karnataka: Minister Byre Gowda calls for entry of accurate data into Fruits software

Ballari: Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda voiced concerns over the incomplete depiction of farmers' land in the recently concluded crop survey.
He stated that such discrepancies could result in unfair compensation.

Addressing a progress review meeting of the revenue department at the district administration hall on Tuesday, Minister Gowda emphasized the need for accurate data entry into the 'Fruits' software to ensure proper distribution of drought relief funds.

Acknowledging the challenges faced by farmers due to insufficient rainfall affecting crop yields, he urged officials to promptly enter precise details of farmers' land within the next week to ensure fair compensation.

He noted that 70 per cent of the state's farmers are small farmers, contradicting outdated central government data that indicates only 44 per cent. To rectify this, he proposed linking farmers' records with Aadhaar numbers to accurately determine the number of small farmers in the state, advocating for the development of an app to facilitate this process.

To address potential drinking water problems in the district, Minister Krishna Byre Gowda recommended supplying water through private tankers, urging the immediate initiation of tenders and precautionary measures.

Expressing displeasure over land encroachments, he highlighted the prevalence of land encroachments in Ballari, second only to Bengaluru. He questioned the lack of action despite strict instructions from CM Siddaramaiah and called for regular efforts to clear land encroachments.

Before the review meeting, the Minister visited the government accounts section in the DC's office premises. He praised the scanning and digitization of centuries-old files in the record room, emphasizing the importance of preserving historical documents.