BENGALURU: Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Wednesday said he and Parameshwara will hold a meeting with top executives of nationalised banks in the next couple of days to get details and work out a mechanism. “In the first phase, we propose to waive crop loans taken from cooperatives and nationalised banks located outside city corporation limits. Remaining loans will be cleared in the second phase,” he said.
While the government will be working on the modalities, farmers have been asked to submit loan details to Deputy Commissioners, who will be the nodal officers. This is being done to ensure that only deserving farmers get the benefit, he said. Farmers have to provide details like when they availed the loan, what was the amount and for what purpose the loan was taken.
The CM said the total loan availed by farmers is Rs 1.14 lakh crore and some systems will be put in place to ensure that only needy farmers get the benefit of loan waiver. “The government will give preference to waiving of loans availed by small and marginal farmers,” he said. “Do we need to waive farm loans availed by coffee planters, those who own hundreds of acres of land and those who have diverted farm loan for business purpose,” he asked, seeking suggestions from the farmers.
When the CM asked if farm loans taken by elected representatives should be waived, farmers in the hall responded by saying “no, no.”Senior BJP leader Govind Karjol, who attended the meeting representing his party, urged the CM to announce farm loan waiver immediately. “In the JD (S) election manifesto they had promised to waive farm loans within 24 hours of coming to power. We urge the CM to do so to help the farmers,” the BJP leader said.
‘CM MAKING FALSE PROMISES ON LOAN WAIVER’
Bengaluru: Opposition Leader in the Assembly B S Yeddyurappa on Wednesday accused Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy of backtracking on his promise of immediate waiver of farm loans. “Kumaraswamy, who had promised farm loan waiver within 24 hours after coming to power, is now seeking 15 days time. It is a political drama and an attempt to mislead people of the state,” the BJP state president said. Yeddyurappa said BJP legislature party meeting will be convened soon to workout details of the statewide agitation for farmers cause. “Kumaraswamy was forced to call farmers meeting after the BJP had called for Karnataka bandh. Without any commitment to help farmers, the CM is only making false promises,” the BJP leader said.Later in the day, Yeddyurappa took to Twitter and continued his tirade against the government.