Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday turned the tables on the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, which has been demanding crop loan waiver, by declaring that he would heed their demand only if the the Centre waives at least 50 per cent of the crop loans availed of by State farmers from nationalised banks.
“Only 20 to 22 per cent of farmers have availed themselves of loans from co-operative societies which come under the State sector. But 78 to 80 per cent of farmers have taken loans from the nationalised banks on which the Centre has control. The crop loans from co-operative societies account for Rs. 10,000 crore as against Rs. 35,000 crore from nationalised banks. This clearly shows that the Centre has to act and waive crop loans if a majority of farmers have to benefit,” Mr. Siddaramaiah remarked while intervening during the reply by Revenue Minister Kagodu Thimmappa to the debate on drought.
The Chief Minister accused the Centre of being “insensitive” to the State’s request to release aid for taking up drought-relief works, and declared that he would lead an all-party delegation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to convince him about the need to immediately release drought assistance.
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Launching a scathing attack on the BJP, he described it as a “party of traders” which did not have concern for farmers or the poor. “I met Mr. Narendra Modi in Delhi and briefed him for one-and-a-half hours about the seriousness of the drought gripping the State. Despite that we are yet to get even a single paisa as aid from the Centre,” he said.
Claiming that demonetisation was bound to fetch an additional revenue of more than Rs. 5 lakh crore to the Centre, he said waiving 50 per cent of the crop loans availed of by Karnataka farmers from nationalised banks was not a difficult task for the government.
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He also alleged that the Centre had done injustice to Karnataka by providing meagre quantum of grants from the 14th Finance Commission. He assured legislators of providing a grant of Rs. 60 lakh to each taluk gripped by drought for taking up relief works.
The Chief Minister’s jibe at the Centre angered the BJP members, who staged a walkout. Janata Dal (S) members too staged a walkout expressing dissatisfaction over the State not waiving crop loans.
Earlier, Mr. Thimmappa said the State had suffered lossof Rs. 17,193 crore because of drought and had sought Central assistance of Rs. 4,702.54 crore.
The Centre should use additional revenue accrued from demonetisation to waive crop loans taken from nationalised banks.
Siddaramaiah,Chief Minister