BENGALURU:Farmers on Monday hit the streets demanding a farm loan waiver without any conditions. They, however, dropped their plan to launch state-wide agitation after they were assured that Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy’s will convene a meeting to discuss their demands.On Monday, around 500 farmers from different parts of the state took out a protest march from Freedom Park to Maurya Circle.
The farmers were engaged in arguments with the police, who detained them. Later, Cooperation Minister Bandeppa Kashempur held a meeting with farmer leaders and assured them that the CM would soon convene a meeting with them.
According to Kodihalli Chandrashekhar, President, Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha, who led the agitation, the waiver announced by the CM comes with many conditions and it will only benefit some farmers.
As per the conditions, only those farmers who have taken loans between 2009 to 2017, are covered under the scheme.
Raghu, a farmer from Anekal, said they are requesting the state government to remove this condition and waive all farm loans. “The government should fix minimum support price for all crops so that farmers do not have to take loans again,” he added.Depending on the outcome of the proposed meeting with the CM, the organisations would decide on the rally that planned for July 21 in Haveri.
Traffic thrown out of gear
Traffic was thrown out of gear during the protest. Many commuters were stranded for more than an hour. Women farmers also lay down on the road to block the road before Freedom Park. Meanwhile, a group of farmers who came to meet the CM started raising slogans when they weren’t allowed to. They were taken into preventive custody and later released.