Activists of Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) staged a protest in the city on Monday demanding that the State government waive the crop loan taken by farmers at the earliest.
Addressing the protest meet, K.T. Gangadhar, working president, KRRS, said that, in a meeting with representatives of farmers’ organisations on May 30, Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy had announced that he would make a decision on waiving the loans borrowed by farmers in 15 days. It is unfortunate that even after the stipulated time, the Janata Dal (Secular)-Congress government in the State has failed to make a decision in this regard, he said.
Referring to the drought in Karnataka over the past four years, he said that moisture stress had resulted in a decline in yield owing to which farmers had incurred heavy losses. It then became the obligation of the State government to come to the rescue of farmers. The JD(S) in its manifesto for the Assembly election had announced a waiver of the loan borrowed by farmers from nationalised and cooperative banks. However, after coming to power, the JD(S) leadership is dilly-dallying on the matter, he said.
The protesters also raised slogans demanding that the State government take measures for issuance of fresh crop loans to farmers for the present kharif season.
The protesters submitted a memorandum to the office of Deputy Commissioner in this regard.
Functionaries of KRRS Jayyappa Gowda, Veeresh, Senapathi Gowda, Yashwanth Rao Ghorpade, and Hirannaiah took part in the protest.
