TUMAKURU/BENGALURU: Deputy Chief Minister Dr G Parameshwara on Saturday urged the Centre to waive farm loans across the country, saying that the Karnataka government had already waived interest on farm loans and was seeking further relief for distressed farmers.
“The Centre should waive farmers’ loans across the country. Let it take full credit for the decision; we will not seek any credit,” he said, recalling the Rs 72,000-crore farm loan waiver announced by the then UPA government under former prime minister Manmohan Singh.
Speaking at a ‘Praja Seva Andolana’ meeting at Huliyurdurga in Kunigal taluk of Tumakuru district, Parameshwara said a three-day special Assembly session has been convened from September 21 to 23 specifically to discuss farmers’ problems and the drought situation. The Kasturirangan committee report, particularly its implications for protecting green areas and forests in seven districts, would also be discussed.
He said the government had decided to provide 15 lakh housing sites, measuring 30x40 sqft, to poor families across the state, with five lakh sites targeted for distribution by December. In Tumakuru district, preparations were under way to develop around 20,000 sites, while 10,000 sites had been sought for Kunigal.
“There is no shortage of funds. Prepare and distribute the 10,000 sites,” Parameshwara told Kunigal MLA H D Ranganath. He also announced that an engineering college sanctioned for Kunigal would begin functioning next year and said efforts were being made to secure a government medical college for Tumakuru.
He directed officials to dispose of applications received at the Praja Seva Andolana without delay and warned of action against officials who kept public grievances pending. He said the programme would be expanded to the hoblis to ensure faster disposal of people’s applications.
Comprehensive debate in session on drought
Earlier in the day, Parameshwara told reporters in Bengaluru that the entire state was facing a drought-like situation and there was a need for a comprehensive discussion on relief measures and the assistance to be sought from the Union government during the three-day special legislature session commencing from Monday.
“There must be a comprehensive discussion in the legislature session on the measures required for drought relief and on the kind of assistance that should be sought from the Union government. We need to discuss these issues collectively,” he said.
The deputy CM appealed to the Opposition to participate in the discussion on issues concerning people rather than viewing every issue through a political lens. He said the government has no objection to protests in a democracy, but there was a time and context for everything.