Guidelines on farm loan waiver will be announced in Budget: CM
Bengaluru, June 25: Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy said that he has got the suggestions from the cooperative societies on farm loan waiver and guidelines for which will be announced in the Budget.
After holding a meeting with the officials of Agriculture, Cooperative Department and representatives of cooperative sector at the Vidhana Soudha here on Monday, the CM told media persons that the loan waiver scheme which should protect the interests of the farmers would be implemented. “How many days I will be in power is not important for me. What I will do for the welfare of the people during that time is more important for me. In order to help the farming community, he has got the suggestions from the Cooperative Sector. But at the same time, the cooperative societies should not incur losses due to the loan waiver scheme. The suggestions emerged from the meeting would help me in preparing the guidelines”, he said.
Within the limits of the coalition government, he would honestly try to fulfill the promises given to the farmers. Officials would play a major role in protecting the farmers. He noticed that some officials have been talking about the life of this coalition government. The officials have the onus to implement the government schemes. Officials need not to have any confusion on the existence of the coalition government. Farm loan waiver should benefit the farmers. It should not help the middlemen because he would not get any commission, he said.
Time extended up to March 31
The farmers would not get anything if they renew the old loan. The farmers should be ensured the loan benefits on time. Representatives of some cooperative societies have suggested to extend the last date from December 31, 2017 to March 31, 2018 to consider the loans for waiver scheme. Now, he has asked the Finance department officials to submit an actual report on the burden to the government and the cooperative societies if the time is extended. To implement the scheme, all cabinet colleagues including Deputy Chief Minister Dr G Parameshwar and MLAs have supported. Shortly, a decision would be taken to waive off the huge farm loan, he said.
To be announced in Budget
The previous government had waived off the crop loans up to Rs 50,000 due which the state Exchequer incurred a burden of Rs 8000 crore and now, it would have another Rs 10,000 crore burden. Along with this, the details of crop loans taken from nationalized banks should be collected. For the implementation of the 6th Pay Commission recommendations, the government would require Rs 17,000 crore. Moreover, the government should continue the major programmes of the previous government. Keeping all these in mind, he would announce the loan waiver scheme in the budget shortly, the CM said.
Cooperative Minister Bandeppa Kashempur, Agriculture Minister NH Shivashankar Reddy, Health Minister Shivananda Patil, Chief Minister’s finance advisor Dr S Subramanya, heads of all district central cooperative banks and senior officers were present at the meeting.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Karnataka Guv letter to govt, want to know how it got 'confidential material' from Lokayukta
Bengaluru (PTI): Another letter written by Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot to the Chief Secretary, expressing "perplexity", as to how the government came to know about the "confidential material" relating to Lokayukta's request to him seeking prosecution or investigation sanction against some opposition leaders, surfaced on Friday.
In the letter to Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh, the Governor also pointed out that in the August 22 Cabinet decision there is only observation with regard to pendency in according sanction in four cases, and there was no "advice" to him, as reported in the media.
The Karnataka Cabinet has decided to give "aid and advice" to the Governor to act on requests seeking sanction for prosecution against JD(S) leader and Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy and three former BJP ministers including mining baron G Janardhan Reddy, the government had said on August 22.
"I have been made aware through media reports published on 23-08-2024 that the Cabinet had advised the Governor to accord sanction for investigation/prosecution proposal against H D Kumaraswamy, Murugesh Nirani, Janardhan Reddy, and Shashikala Jolle received from Lokayukta police without delay," the Governor said in a letter dated August 28.
"But, on thorough reading of the Cabinet decisions, it is further noted, that there is only observation with regard to pendency in according sanction in the above four cases along with dates of submission by Lokayukta Police to this Secretariat but there is no advice as such," he said.
Further noting that he is both "curious and perplexed" to note that how did the State Government and the Cabinet came to know about the request from Lokayukta Police along with dates of submission to the sanctioning authority and other details, the Governor asked, "how did Lokayukta Police being an independent body share confidential material with any person other than the sanctioning authority since I have seen in the media the confidential material floating around?"
"I am also curious to see the Cabinet note/materials regarding this subject based on which the Cabinet has observed and decided and which has been conveyed to me officially. Hence, I expect a prompt and early reply along with Cabinet note/supporting documents and the source of documents/ information in this regard," he added.
The August 22 Cabinet meeting and its decision that the Governor is referring to, was held within a week after him granting sanction for prosecution and investigation of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment case on August 16.
On August 19, Siddaramaiah moved the High Court challenging the legality of the Governor's order.
The High Court on September 12 completed its hearing on Siddaramaiah's petition challenging the legality of Governor Gehlot's approval for investigation against him in the MUDA site allotment case and reserved its orders.
In the MUDA site allotment case, it is alleged that compensatory sites were allotted to Siddaramaiah's wife B M Parvathi in an upmarket area in Mysuru, which had higher property value as compared to the location of her land which had been "acquired" by the MUDA.
The MUDA had allotted plots to Parvathi under a 50:50 ratio scheme in lieu of 3.16 acres of her land, where MUDA developed a residential layout.
Under the controversial scheme, MUDA allotted 50 per cent of developed land to the land losers in lieu of undeveloped land acquired from them for forming residential layouts. Some Opposition leaders and activists have also claimed that Parvathi had no legal title over this 3.16 acres of land.
