K'taka frames special package for farmers of 6 dists.

Bangalore, July 25 (UNI) The Karnataka Government has come up with a Rs 6903.80 crore special rehabilitation package for farmers of six districts where the incidence of farmers' suicide was on the high.

The select districts--Belgaum, Hassan, Chikmagalur, Kodagu, Shimoga and Chitradurga--were part of the 21 districts identified by the Union Government across the country to launch the package to mitigate farmers' distress. It had also identified 16 districts in Andhra Pradesh, six in Maharashtra and three in Kerala.

The state government had submitted the proposal to the Centre seeking financial assistance to implement the scheme which included short and long term measures.

According to a release issued by the CM's secrertariat, the rehabilitation package aimed at establishing a sustainable and viable farming, besides livelihood support system through debt relief to farmers, improved supply of institutional credit, crop-centric approach to agriculture, assured irrigation facilities and better extension and farm support services. It also included development of subsidiary income opportunities through horticulture, livestock, dairying and fisheries.

The release said the government had decided to allocate Rs 60 lakh for each of the six districts for providing immediate relief i to alleviate the sufferings of debt-ridden farmers. Besides a comprehensive debt relief measure had also been suggested. The measure included waiver of interest and penal interest on loans provided by cooperative institutions in these districts, amounting to Rs 385.59 crore, writing off over due principal and interest on cooperative loans and regional rural banks, amounting to over Rs 1300 crore, and provision of an outright grant of Rs 100 crore to the world famous Yeshawini Cooperative Healthcare Scheme Trust.

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