The Karnataka State Legal Services Authority (KSLSA) on Wednesday suggested that the government could set up farmers’ counselling centres (FCC) in gram panchayats to help farmers in distress.
Addressing presspersons here, N.K. Patil, judge of High Court of Karnataka and Executive Chairman of the KSLSA, said the FCCs should consist of trained personnel — a social worker, psychologist, agricultural scientist, doctor, and the elected representative of the respective gram panchayat.
Also, advisory councils at the State and district-levels should be set up to give necessary guidance to the FCCs.
Mr. Patil also said a mechanism at the gram panchayat level should be evolved to identify the indebted farmers having suicidal tendencies, so that they could be counselled.
Lok Adalats
Justice Patil said the KSLSA will be organising a national-level monthly Lok Adalat on August 8 across the State for taking up litigations related to disputes with banks, including loans, and dishonouring of cheques, for settlement at courts at taluk, district and State, for amicable settlement.
Cases settled
As many as 30,475 cases — 10,799 cases pending with the courts, and 19,676 pre-litigation cases — related to bank disputes and dishonouring of cheques were amicably settled during the earlier monthly adalat held across the State in February this year.
