Mysuru: Farmers protesting under the banner of Federation of State Sugarcane Growers Association on June 25, demanded total farm loan waiver to pull out the suffering farming community entrapped in debts.
Speaking during the protest in front of Deputy Commissioner’s office, Kurubur Shantakumar, President of State Sugarcane Growers’ Union said the state government providing relief to the extent of Rs 50,000 in terms of cooperative bank loan waiver did not serve any purpose.
Farmers after facing drought over the past three years are struggling to maintain families. In such a situation, partial loan waiver is of little benefit said, Kurubur Shanthkumar and demanded total loan waiver from the state government.
The Government of Maharashtra has waived off farm loans of up to Rs 1.50 Lakh availed by farmers from nationalised banks and cooperative societies, whereas the Punjab government has ordered loan waiver of Rs 2 Lakh. But the Karnataka government offering only Rs 50,000 relief amounts to gross injustice meted to farming community, Shanthkumar contended.
Agitating farmers raised slogans such as “farmers are not debtors and it is the government that owes money” and took the parliament members from the state to task for remaining tight-lipped in the Parliament. They demanded the chief minister to fix minimum support price for sugarcane as in 2016-17 and instruct the Sugarcane Procurement Board accordingly. They also demanded financial assistance through Mudra scheme.
Varakudu Krishne Gowda, A Nagaraju, Suresh, Devaraj, Bhagyaraj and others participated in the protest.
