Decision will be out in next two weeks: CM
‘Committed to waive off farm loans’
Bengaluru, May 30: Saying that the government is committed to waive off the farm loans of the farmers in the state, Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy said that the decision would be taken within next two weeks after taking all aspects into account.
After holding a meeting with the representatives of farmers organizations, and opposition leaders at the Conference Hall of the Vidhana Soudha in the city on Wednesday, the CM said that besides maintaining the financial discipline, the government would also take steps to protect the interests of the farmers. The crop loans availed between April 2009 and December 31, 2017 would be waived off. Moreover, he would shortly hold a meeting with the higher officers of nationalized banks on the farmers loans and take a decision, he said.
The decision on waiving off the loans of those who have been paying tax for more than Rs 4 lakh income, availed loans in commercial banks in city corporation limits, doing other business in crop loans and the loans taken by the elected representatives would be taken after getting the suggestion from the experts, he said.
Loan waiver in two phases
In the first phase, the crop loans availed by the small and marginal farmers would be written off. In the second phase, the government would appoint the respective deputy commissioners as nodal officers for waiving the loans and the farmers who have taken loan for purchasing tractors and agriculture equipment and other agriculture activities should give the details about their loans within 10-15 days, he said.
The farmers have taken loan to the tune of Rs 52,000 crore in nationalized banks. In total, the farmers have Rs 1.14 lakh crore loans, in which, the central government also has the share. Besides waiving off the loans, the coalition government would plan a policy to make their life better, the CM said.
Clearance certificate
Loan waiver scheme should not be misused and the middlemen should not get the benefits out of it. In view of this, the government would send the loan Clearance Certificates to the door steps of the farmers. The cabinet would be expanded within a couple of days. As soon as AICC president Rahul Gandhi returned from foreign trip, he would discuss with him the loan waiver plan and waive off the loans, he said.
The farmers should follow the suggestions of the agriculture department on crop pattern based on the available water and rain. This would stop falling of prices of agriculture produces. The government would also take steps to ensure good price to the produces, he said.
The size of the state budget is Rs 2 lakh crore and Rs 52,000 crore should be earmarked for loan waiver. Apart from this, agriculture, irrigation, social welfare, health and other sectors need financial assistance. Just to provide river water instead of bore water for drinking purpose in the state, the government would require over Rs 40,000 crore, he said.
Deputy leader of the Opposition Party Govind M Karjol, Deputy Chief Minister Dr G Parameshwar, Chief Secretary Ratnaprabha, farmers leaders Maruti Manpade, Kodihalli Chandrashekar, Basavarajappa, Sunanda Jayaram, Chamarasa Mali Patil and others were present at the meeting.
‘Don’t do petty politics’
Opposition leader and BJP State president BS Yeddyurappa was invited for the meeting of the farmers leaders to discuss the farm loan waiver issue. But citing the Mangaluru visit, Yeddyurappa did not come to the meeting. But he should stop doing petty politics in the name of farmers by sitting at home, said CM Kumaraswamy.
Experts panel required
Congress-JDS coalition government does not have any difference over loan waiver. Congress is committed to waive off the farm loans. But an experts panel needs to be formed to review the farm loans. Agriculture produces should get good price. Farmers, labourers and youth should lead a good life. The coalition government would try to ensure this, said deputy chief minister Dr G Parameshwar.
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Venkatesh Prasad elected KSCA president, Sujith Somasundar is new vice-president
Bengaluru (PTI): Former India pacer Venkatesh Prasad was on Sunday elected as the new president of the troubled Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA).
In the polls, Prasad, a former vice-president of the association, went ahead of veteran sports administrator KN Shanth Kumar 749-558 as a total of 1307 members voted.
Prasad now will have the onerous task of bringing top-flight cricket back to the state, which got sidelined after the stampede near the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on June 4 in which 11 Royal Challengers Bengaluru fans were killed.
Both Prasad and Shanth Kumar, Director of The Printers (Mysore) Private Ltd and one of the Directors on the PTI Board, had vowed to take necessary steps to revive cricket in the state, and it was their respective panel's major poll pitch.
Former India batter Sujith Somasundar won the election to the post of vice-president ahead of D. Vinod Shivappa 719-588.
Somasundar had stepped down from the post of Education Head at the BCCI Centre of Excellence recently to contest in the KSCA polls.
BN Madhukar is the new KSCA treasurer after winning the election 736-571 ahead of MS Vinay. Experienced administrator Santosh Menon returned to the association fold as its new secretary after getting the better of ES Jairam 675-632.
Jairam had resigned from the post of KSCA secretary after 11 fans were killed and several injured in the stampede near the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, taking the moral responsibility for the tragic turn of events.
The Prasad-led panel, which had the open backing of former India players Anil Kumble and Javagal Srinath, hence grabbed four key posts in the polls which were held at the Chinnaswamy Stadium between 10am and 5 pm.
“First and foremost, this is a victory for the sport of cricket. Secondly, this is a victory for all the members who wanted a change, all the people who wanted international cricket to come back to the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. This is a victory for all stakeholders — the cricket fans,” Prasad told reporters after becoming president.
The Brijesh Patel-backed camp saw BK Ravi from its list winning the race to the post of joint secretary 669-638 ahead of AV Shashidhara.
Former women’s cricketer Kalpana Venkatachar (764) and former Karnataka wicketkeeper batter Avinash Vaidya (691), who contested from Prasad's panel, were elected as members from the Bangalore Zone along with Aashish Amarlall (703).
