BELAGAVI: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah made two big announcements here on Friday. One was to do with farmers, where interest on loans borrowed by them from cooperative societies would be waived if they repaid the principal amount. The other was to constitute a high-powered committee to review the implementation of the Nanjundappa Committee recommendations on the development of North Karnataka.
In his long reply to a special discussion on the development of the North Karnataka region in the Assembly, Siddaramaiah said a study conducted by the Centre for Multidisciplinary Research Institute in Dharwad revealed that though Rs 32,436 crore has been spent, the imbalance between north and south regions of the state has not been addressed. On the contrary, the number of most backward and backward taluks increased and inequality still exists between developed and backward taluks.
To conduct an impact study on the implementation of the Nanjundappa committee recommendations, the government is setting up a high-powered committee, headed by a well-known economist. It will be asked to submit the report within a deadline of at least six months. An increase in the number of taluks from 175 to 236 too has necessitated such a study, he said.
A majority of 39 backward taluks of the state are in the Kalyana-Karnataka region and they will get a share of Rs 3,000 crore allocated to such taluks, apart from a portion of another Rs 3,000 crore sanctioned to the Kalyana-Karnataka Region Development Board. The region’s human development index and per capita income are lower than the state’s average. The backward taluks will get a Rs 3,000 special grant until the high-powered committee submits its report, he added.
He said Rs 5,000 crore will be allocated to develop the Kalyana-Karnataka region and committed to filling up 35,000 vacant posts. Since 2013-14, the region has been allocated Rs 14,877 crore, of which Rs 8,334 crore has been utilised as against Rs 10,229 crore released, he said. On irrigation projects in the region, he said the third phase of Upper Krishna Project has not started as the Centre is yet to issue a gazette notification, while the Mahadayi diversion project is stalled with the Union government not giving the environmental clearance.
Opposition BJP slammed Siddaramaiah for announcing the interest waiver and projects without offering any financial support. Terming these announcements fake and bogus, Opposition Leader R Ashoka said it is unfortunate that none of these measures has got any financial backing. “How can the government implement them without budgetary allocation,” he asked.
On interest waiver, he said farmers cannot repay the principal amount as they are badly affected by drought. “The borrowers will not repay the principal amount, the government will not waive the interest,” he said sarcastically. MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal said he was expecting Siddaramaiah to announce a medical college and tech park in Vijayapura, but the CM’s reply was a damp squib.