HD Kumaraswamy and BJP claw each other over farm loan waiver issue

 BELAGAVI: On Wednesday in the legislative assembly the Chief minister HD Kumaraswamy and the BJP clash over the farm loan waiver issue. As both sides were accusing each other of misleading the farmers.

The BJP members had charged the government with giving the farmers false promises of waiving the loans that were availed by them from commercial banks and staged a dharna.

Later, BS Yeddyurappa told the reporters that his party will continue the dharna on Thursday if the CM does not apologise to the people for not being able to meet the budging from his stand and to admit that the loan waiver was not happening.

The all started when the chief minister Kumaraswamy lost his temper after Yeddyurappa and the senior BJP MLA Govind Karjol taunted him for failing to convince the banks for helping the farmers. “Don’t make fun of it. Who cares if they (banks) help or not. I will do it on my own. My government is financially strong. I am telling you (opposition BJP) as a responsible chief minister,” Kumaraswamy said.

Yeddyurappa struck back: “Farmers are fed up with your promise. Don’t tell stories; we’ve been hearing them for the past six months. Tell us how much loan has been waived so far. I have information that only Rs 50 crore of loans availed by nationalised banks have been waived so far.’’

The CM replied that, “Don’t expect me to keep quiet all the time. My government is doing so much for farmers. You are unable to digest it... You are jealous of us. Have patience. I’m firm about keeping my word on farm loan waiver.”

“A nationalised bank has accepted just Rs 30 crore from a private firm as a one-time settlement against the Rs 149 crore loan it availed. But they are not ready to extend some concessions to loans availed by farmers,” Kumaraswamy said. He also claimed that his government all by itself would be repaying all the farmers’ loans if the banks continue with their indifferent attitude.

He said that the process has already commenced and the government has issued no-debt certificates for the farmers in Sedam and Doddaballapur taluks. He also said that, the finance department has already shortlisted 17.4 lakh loan accounts of the farmers in the commercial banks and there are discussions being held for clearing the loans.