Loan waiver impractical: Dharam Singh

Gulbarga, Jan 6 (UNI) Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly N Dharam Singh today felt that the State Government's proposed waiver of agriculture loans to the tune of Rs 11,000 crore was virtually impractical.

Addressing a press conference here, he said the cooperative banks had given loans of Rs 4,000 crore and commercial banks a Rs 7,000 crore. It was not possible for the government to waive off the whopping amount, he added.

Alleging that only 30 per cent of the budgetary allocation had been spent so far, Mr Singh dismissed the charge that the Centre was according stepmotherly treatment towards the State, pointing out that the Centre had sanctioned sufficient funds for the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.

Referring to Deputy Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa's statement that he would visit the most backward taluks of the State, including Mr Singh's hometown of Jewargi, he said the BJP leader was trying to imitate Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy thereby spending time in village to reap political mileage. ''This is nothing but political gimmicks, but if the visits are with good intention, I welcome it.'' Noting that no funds were released to Munnuru village in the district despite Mr Kumaraswamy staying there overnight a few months ago, he said he would visit Shakaripur in Shimoga district, the hometown of Mr Yediyurappa, to see the development in the area.

The former Chief Minister took exception to the Deputy Chief Minister taking part in a function marking the centenary celebration of RSS former chief Madhava Rao Golvalkar at Sedam on January four.

On the arrest of a terrorist in Bangalore yesterday, he expressed concern about Bangalore becoming vulnerable to terror attacks and asked the Government to take extra precautions and strengthen the security.

UNI