JD(S) seeks budgetary allocation for farm loan waiver

Bangalore, Jan 29 (UNI) The National Council of the Janata Dal (Secular) today demanded that the Union Government make budgetary provisions to write off all farm loans disbursed by commercial banks and compensate State Governments which have taken measures for waiving loans taken by farmers from cooperative institutions.

An unanimous resolution adopted at the Council here noted that the total outstanding farmers' loans in Karnataka stood at Rs 4,836.98 crore, including Rs 4,198.45 crore of principal. The ''half-hearted'' packages announced by the UPA Government at the Centre to farmers in some parts of the country would not serve the purpose, it opined, demanding that the Centre take measures to offer soft loans to the farming community through commercial banks at four per cent interest rate.

The JD(S) accused the Centre of grossly neglecting the interests of farmers who constitute over 60 per cent of the population, while pursuing economic reforms and globalisation process. While the Union Government was ready to forego tax revenue worth lakhs of crores of Rupees for promoting SEZs across the country, the demand for waiver of a few thousand crores outstanding dues of farmers was not being entertained, it alleged.

Appealing to the Union Government to declare the incidence of farmers' suicides as a national disaster, it demanded to take immediate measures to improve the economic conditions of the farming community.

The resolution was moved by former Rajya Sabha member Javare Gowda and seconded by former party Legislator Jyothi Reddy.

UNI