The number of farmer suicides would have been mitigated if the Union government waived off farmers’ loans in nationalised banks, said Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president G. Parameshwara.
Addressing a conference of Congress’s booth-level office-bearers here on Monday, Mr. Parameshwara said that despite several requests by the State government, the Centre did not waive off farmers’ loans in nationalised banks that amounted to nearly ₹40,000 crore. The State has been witnessing continuous drought for last five years. Farmers are facing the severe most crises but the Centre is doing nothing except pay lip service, he said.
The total amount of farmers’ loans in the State are ₹40,000 crore in nationalised banks and ₹10,000 crore in cooperative institutions. BJP State president B.S. Yeddyurappa roared that he would lay seize to the Vidhana Soudha if the State government did not waive off the loans. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has waived off farmers loans from cooperative institutions. This has helped nearly 22 lakh farmers in the State. However, Mr. Yeddyurappa and other BJP leaders including Jagadish Shettar kept mum when the Centre refused to waive off loans from nationalised banks.
While the UPA government led by the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh waived off farmers’ loans to the tune of ₹72,000 crore, the NDA government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is reluctant to rush to the farmers aid. While the Centre refused to waive off farmers’ loans citing financial reasons, it has, at the same time, waived off loans taken by big corporate and industrial houses, he said.
Mr. Parameshwara said he would challenge those BJP leaders levelling baseless allegations against the Congress government in the State to come out with the list of welfare schemes introduced by the erstwhile BJP government and today’s Congress government. Let the people decide who has done what for them, he said.
Referring to various welfare schemes introduced by the State Government such as Anna Bhagya, Manaswini, midday meals, free supply of milk, uniform and learning material to schoolchildren and free distribution of laptops to college students, he said the State government led by Mr. Siddaramaiah has fulfilled assurances made in the 2013 Assembly elections. He said the BJP leaders should explain what prevented them from launching such schemes catering to the interests of the weaker and backward sections of society.
The BJP leaders should remind themselves that during their rule, the State saw three CMs. One CM was jailed on corruption charges and people were made to hear about one or the other scandal everyday. The Congress government of the State has provided good governance and able leadership. The Congress party’s base is very strong in the State and the party will win the upcoming Assembly elections based on its performance, he said.
Minister for Mines and Geology Vinay Kulkarni, former Minister A.M. Hindasageri, Hubballi-Dharwad East MLA Prasad Abbayya, former MLC Veeranna Mattikatti and others spoke. Nearly 20 BJP workers joined the Congress on this occasion.
