Bengaluru : Flower growers and vendors on Thursday protested at the city’s international flower auction market demanding the immediate withdrawal of the mandate of Chief Secretary Ravi Kumar, who is placing a burden on the state’s floriculture farmers already recovering from the corona hardship.

A few days ago, the new minister of the Department of Energy and Kannada and Culture, V. Sunil Kumar, said, “Bouquet, garland,  fruit basket is waste gift, instead of this give a book.” After that chief minister Bommai also said, this be banned in all government programs.

Speaking at the event, TM Aravind, president of the South India Floriculture Association who led the protest said it is a tragedy for the families of thousands of farmers engaged in flower cultivation in the state covering 7500 hectares. “There are no scientific or research findings behind this decision. With this ban the flower growers who are already suffering from hardship from the pandemic will be further affected. Farmers who have been disturbed by lack of public meetings for years may be driven to commit suicide. Crores of rupees were involved in floriculture”, he said.

Srikanth Bollapalli, President of the Flower Council of India, said, who spoke on the occasion said, “Floriculture is being carried out through the Green House on 7500 hectares besides flowers are also grows on millions of acres in the informal sector. There are about six people working on an acre and about 15 people on a hectare. Bangalore is a major hub of the country’s flower industry, with flowers exported from Bangalore to the country and abroad. It would be inappropriate to impose a ban on floriculture, which is a major contributor to foreign exchange and the economy.”

The protesters demanded the withdrawal the ban order on the life-support industry of the state’s floriculture farmers and millions of people involved in the flower industry.

Representatives of state’s florists and florist farmers’ organizations, all the state’s florists and florist associations participated in the innovative protest, holding a bouquet, necklace and fruit baskets.