Karnataka farmers eager to know farm waiver, also anxious on modalities by Kumaraswamy government

MYSURU: With the Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy all set to present his maiden budget of the coalition government on Thursday, the farming community across the state are eager to know on much-awaited farm loan waiver but, are also anxious on the modalities to be announced for the loan waiver.

As the debate is on small, marginal and big farmers, and government in no mood to waive of farm loan taken by income tax payees or industrialists and also on the extent of loan waiver, the farming community is in toes to the government stand.

This budget has also made the commercial, nationalized, rative banks and other funding institutions also know on loan waiver as thousands of farmers have refused to pay to hope that the coalition government will stand by its promise and waive off crop loan.

The farmers organisations has pressed for crop loan waiver to the tune of Rs 52 thousand crores in all banks to bail out the farming community that was worst hit from severe drought in pas four years. Waive loans taken from money lenders also:However, Pranthya Raitha Sangha, Secretary Bayyareddy want the government to waive of all crop loans taken in financial institutions and also from money lenders. He said that only 36 per cent of farmers have taken loans in Banks whereas lakhs of them unable o reach out o banks or meet their documentation have borrowed from money lenders. `

The State Government should constitute a commission to study and come out with an act on lines of Kerala government to waive off loans borrowed from money lenders instead of discriminating he farmers ', he added. He said that they are also in favor of the government that is in no mood to waive off farm loans borrowed by industrialists, buerocracts and businessmen who are paying fatty IT returns.

While, Raitha Sangha leader Kodihalli Chandrashekar said that the farmers want the government do one time loan waiver as they don't want to press for loan waiver in future.

Strongly opposing any move discriminate farmers as small or big farmers , they want the government to implement Swaminatham committee recommendations and its formula to give scientific prices. `We don't want loan waiver if the government gives scientific prices and market for the farm produces', he added. Scientific prices and execution of irrigation projects , focus on rural development will also address farmers probelms and not from just loan waiver, he felt.

Belagavi district Sugarcane Growers Association, president Erappa Basavanappa Aralikatti said that the government's crop loan waiver should apply to all farmers including sugarcane, cotton, grapes or growing traditional or commercial crops across the state. If the sugar factories have not paid bills for years and cleared arrears how will the farmer survive without taking loans from banks or money lenders, he asked.

He said that the cane growers does not need loan waiver if they are given timely payment of Rs 4000 per tonne along with arrears by sugar factories. Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy should commit to bail out sugarcane growers in Budget instead of he again playing to the tune or lobby of sugar factories.

Shivamurthy, a marginal farmer from Attagulipura, said that he his awaiting for budget as the banks have served series of notice on him to recover Rs 1 lakh crop loans. How will I repay the loan when there is no rains for four years and scientific prices for the produces including vegetables, he asked. The budget should have exclusive focus on farmers in rain fed areas as just waiver of loan is not enough to revive fortune of farmers hit with multiple problems.