The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Centre has copied State’s loan-waiver scheme: BJP

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Karnataka

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Centre has copied State’s loan-waiver scheme: BJP

Special Correspondent

‘But it will not be of much help to Karnataka farmers’

Seeks extension of deadline for scheme by a year
Calls for cut in interest rate on farm loans

BANGALORE: The State unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday maintained that the loan-waiver scheme for small and marginal farmers announced in the Union Budget was inspired by a similar step taken by the Karnataka Government.

Welcomed

“We welcome the farm loan waiver proposal as we are the inspiration for it. But the way in which it is proposed to be implemented will not be of much help to Karnataka farmers,” BJP State president D.V. Sadananda Gowda said here on Saturday.

Pointing out that only those loans disbursed till March 31, 2007 were to be waived, Mr. Gowda said the loan waiver scheme of the State Government also had the same deadline. Hence, the Centre should extend the deadline by a year so that more farmers from the State could benefit from the Central scheme, he said.

Cut interest rate

If the United Progressive Alliance was serious about rescuing farmers from the ongoing crisis, it should have reduced the interest on farm loans to 4 per cent on the lines of the step taken by the Karnataka Government, he said. He termed the Central budget a gimmick with an eye on elections.

Mr. Gowda took exception to some Congress leaders criticising the Election Commission for its attempt to hold elections to the Karnataka Assembly before May 28. He termed such criticism “unconstitutional and anti-democratic”.

‘Resist pressure’

He also urged the Centre and the Election Commission not to yield to pressure from Congress leaders to put off the polls. “If you yield to their pressure, you will be exposed,” he said.

Taking exception to the Congress opposing early polls, he said all the political parties should cooperate with the Election Commission to hold early polls if they were really interested in the development of the State. “Already the implementation of development schemes has slackened under President’s Rule,” he said.

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