SEETHAPURA (MANDYA): Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Saturday turned a true Mannina Maga, son of the soil, after he stepped into a field to lend a hand at transplanting paddy seedlings with thousands of farmers in Sethapura of Panadavapura taluk.
Dressed in the traditional dhoti and a white shirt, Kumaraswamy was welcomed by folk troupes playing drums as they lined up along an irrigation canal decked up with painted bullock carts and colourful flags that gave the location a cinema-set look.
Though he arrived late by three hours, folk artistes kept the crowd entertained on a cloudy day. Kumaraswamy drove to the Anjaneyaswamy temple and offered puja.
CM Kumaraswamy played the part of one among the lakhs of farmers of Karnataka to perfection, who was there “to understand their plight and offer them solutions, so they did not take the extreme step of suicide”. “I will not rest until I rid you people of your debts, and fill your lives with joy,” he said.
The gathered farmers responded with a thunderous applause when the chief minister announced the Cabinet decision to waive off `9,600 crore loans availed by them from co-operative banks. He went on to hint that farm loans taken from commercial banks would be waived off.
“The farmers want me to waive off `49,000 crore loans. My government is just two months old. Please give us four-five months and we will see to it that farmers will not go to private moneylenders as they will get interest-free loans, which will put an end to the exploitation of farmers,” he said.
JD(S) steals the show
Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy’s paddy seedling transplantation event in Panadavapura turned out to be a JD(S) show of strength with the high turnout of party legislators and its leaders. Though Kumaraswamy is heading the JD(S)-Congress coalition government, no leader from the Congress party attended the event. Raitha Sangha activists also stayed away from the event. JD(S) workers and local taluk and ZP members joined Kumaraswamy to transplant paddy seedlings.
Seer commends CM
Nirmalanandanatha Swami of Adichunchanagiri Mutt also joined Kumaraswamy during his visit to Seethapura. He commended the CM for giving time and caring for the farming community.
HDK’s late arrival tests patience of farmers
Mysuru: Kumaraswamy’s visit to Seethapura village on the banks of Cauvery tested the patience of farmers and the public. The CM, who was scheduled to come at 10.30am, was late by three hours. People were forced to wait while it drizzled. Many were even waiting since 9.30am.
‘No fund shortage for relief works’
Mysuru: Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy said financial condition of the state is sound and there is no dearth of funds to take up relief works in rain-affected areas. He said the government has announced a D100-crore package for rain-hit Kodagu and already released D20 crore. He also said the government will soon clear all doubts over the loan waiver.