Hubballi: The number of farmer suicides would have been mitigated if the Centre had waived off farmers’ loans in nationalised banks, said Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President G Parameshwara.
Speaking to reporters in Hubballi, Parameshwara said that despite several requests by the state government, the Centre did not waive off farmers’ loans in nationalised banks that amounted to nearly Rs 40,000 Crore. The Centre is doing nothing except pay lip service, he said.
The total amount of farmers’ loans in the State is Rs 40,000 Crore in nationalised banks and Rs 10,000 Crore in cooperative institutions. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has waived off farmers’ loans from cooperative institutions, helping nearly 22 lakh farmers in the state. However, BJP leaders kept mum when the Centre refused to waive off loans from nationalised banks, he said.
While the UPA government led by the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had waived off farmers’ loans to the tune of Rs 72,000 Crore, the NDA government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is reluctant to rush to the farmers’ aid, he charged.
He challenged BJP leaders to match the list of welfare schemes introduced by the erstwhile BJP government and today’s Congress government in state.
Referring to various welfare schemes introduced by the state government, he said the government led by Siddaramaiah had fulfilled assurances made in the 2013 Assembly elections. He said the BJP leaders should explain what prevented them from launching such schemes catering to the interests of the weaker and backward sections of the society.
Minister for Mines and Geology Vinay Kulkarni, former minister A M Hindasageri, Hubballi-Dharwad East MLA Prasad Abbayya, former MLC Veeranna Mattikatti and others also spoke.
