Karnataka - Gulbarga   

Only co-op. farm loans to be waived

Special Correspondent

No plan to write off loans taken from other banks: Chief Minister

WARM WELCOME: Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy being received by Minister for Agriculture Marketing Sharanabasappa Darshanapur (left) at the helipad in Gulbarga on Sunday.

GULBARGA: The Planning Commission has invited Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and Deputy Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa for finalising the State's plan size for 2007-08, in New Delhi on February 20.

Talking to presspersons here, Mr. Kumaraswamy said senior officials of the Finance Department were finalising the plan proposal to be placed before the commission.

Mr. Kumaraswamy said the proposal of the State on the plan size would be ready in a week.

Mr. Kumaraswamy said the State Government would waive farm loans taken from only cooperative banks, and there was no plan to write off loans secured by farmers from nationalised and private banks.

The Chief Minister's reported statement earlier that loans taken by farmers from all banks would be waived had kicked off a row with the BJP taking exception over not being consulted before announcing such a decision.

The Chief Minister claimed that he never stated that loans taken from private and nationalised banks would be written off.

To a question, he said according to the rough estimate farm loans in cooperative banks was Rs. 4,600 crore.

He indicated that the budget would contain a special programme for the deprived sections of society.

Nanjundappa report

The Chief Minister lashed out at the Congress leaders who had criticised the Government for its alleged indifferent attitude towards implementing the recommendations of the D.M. Nanjundappa Committee. He charged that these leaders did nothing when they were in power.

The Chief Minister pointed out that constituencies represented by senior leaders of the Congress had been declared most backward by the Nanjundappa Committee, and this was a reflection on the leaders' concern and commitment for development.

Mr. Kumaraswamy said he did not want to politicise the issue and was only reacting to the statements of the Opposition leaders. He said the Government was committed to implementing the recommendations of the committee.

Mr. Kumaraswamy said a meeting had been convened with Congress leaders in Bangalore on Monday to end the stalemate in the Legislative Council over the nomination of N. Thippanna as acting Chairman of the House.

The Chief Minister expressed confidence that a solution would be arrived at in the meeting.

Mr. Kumaraswamy also said that Deputy Chairman Sachinanand Khot, who had not been attending the House after he was injured in an accident, was likely to attend the House on Monday, which would end the controversy.

He indicated that election to the post of Chairman would not be held in the near future.

To a question, Mr. Kumaraswamy announced that some districts in Hyderabad Karnataka region would be exempted from power cuts during summer to provide relief to the people.

Lottery ban

The Chief Minister said the issue of banning all lotteries in the State was under the consideration of the Government and a decision would be announced in the budget.

The Government was also committed to providing more powers to the Lokayukta.

Mr. Kumaraswamy, replying to another question, said the State Government was confident that the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal would not do injustice to the State.

The verdict of the tribunal is expected on Monday.

He did not give a firm assurance on relaxing the helmet rule in Gulbarga district.

Pro-farmer

Bellary Staff Correspondent reports:

The Chief Minister hinted that the budget would be pro-agriculture.

Speaking to presspersons at the Tungabhadra Dam before leaving for Gulbarga, Mr. Kumaraswamy said the thrust would be to better the lives of the people who were dependent on agriculture and suffered a lot.

He said the emphasis would also be on completing all pending irrigation projects on schedule.

Tribunal award

Mr. Kumaraswamy hoped that the Cauvery tribunal award would be in favour of the State.

Earlier, the Chief Minister held discussions with the elected representatives and officials of Bellary and reviewed the preparedness to tackle the likely drought and drinking water shortage during ensuing summer.

N. Suryanarayana Reddy, political secretary to his Chief Minister, and H.R. Gaviyappa, Hospet MLA, were among those present..

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