BENGALURU:The much-debated farm loan waiver will top the Common Minimum Programme (CMP) being drafted to provide road map for the JD(S)-Congress coalition government headed by H D Kumaraswamy.
The five-member CMP drafting committee comprising senior Congress leaders Veerappa Moily, R V Deshpande and D K Shivakumar and JD(S) leaders H D Revanna and Bandeppa Kashempur, which held its first meeting on Wednesday, was compelled to accept JD(S) demand to incorporate farm loan waiver as the top agenda of the CMP.
Even as the deliberations started to discuss the long list of promises made in the manifestos of both parties, Revanna stood firm and insisted that the committee include three top promises of JD(S) on priority. Apart from farm loan waiver, Revanna made a forceful demand to incorporate maternity allowance for women from BPL families and `6,000 per month pension scheme for senior citizens in the CMP.
While the committee agreed to incorporate farm loan waiver, the other two demands will be discussed in detail in the next meeting to be held on June 25. Though Congress is the senior partner in the coalition, Revanna ensured that JD(S) gained the upper hand.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Moily said, “The farm loan waiver promised by Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy will top the CMP. We have prepared the draft CMP during our first meeting today... it will be finalised after the second meeting on June 25.”
The committee is studying the manifestos of both the parties and preparing the CMP by integrating the prominent promises of the two manifestos. “The CMP will also incorporate all major welfare programmes announced by the previous Siddaramaiah government,” Moily said.
CMP will serve as road map for budget: Moily
The CMP, to be submitted to the coordination committee headed by former Chief Minister
Siddaramaiah, will serve as the road map for the budget to be prepared by Kumaraswamy, Moily added.
Revanna, who was eager to make an announcement on farm loan waiver, was restrained by other members of the committee as it is the prerogative of the Chief Minister to announce it.
The committee is set to hold a meeting with the finance department officials soon to get an insight into the funds needed to fulfil the promise and also resource constraints. According to Revanna, `11,000 crore is needed to waive farm loans availed from cooperative institutions and the amount will be many times more if loans availed from nationalised banks too are waived.Maternity allowance will cost `36,000 for each beneficiary for nine months and the total estimated total annual cost is yet to be worked out.
Draft panel meets
JD(S) demands three promises of the party be included in CMP
Draft panel agrees to incorporate farm loan waiver
JD(S)’ other 2 demands on pension scheme and maternity allowance to be discussed at next meeting on June 25
Panel studying manifestos of Congress and JD(S) to integrate prominent promises