Yediyurappa urges Centre for agri loans at 4 pc interest

Mangalore, May 31 (UNI) The JD(S)-BJP coalition government in Karnataka is prepared to take to the streets to force the Centre to provide loans at four per cent interest to farmers, Deputy Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa said today.

Talking to newspersons here he condemned the Centre's attitude of rejecting the proposals put forth by Karnataka both at the Chief Ministers' meeting convened by the Prime Minister and the National Development Council meeting, to help farmers get loans at reduced rate of interest of four per cent through public sector banks as had been provided by Co-operative banks in Karnataka.

Accusing the Centre of meting out step motherly treatment to the state, he said he would lead a delegation to the Centre again. If the demands were not met, the coalition partners would sit together and chalk out the future course of action, he added.

The UPA government at the Centre and the Congress in the state should clearly spell out whether they were ''pro'' or ''anti'' farmers, Mr Yediyurappa said.

He said the cabinet would meet in Bangalore tomorrow and take a decision on compensation to be paid to sugarcane growers whose crop had not been lifted by sugar factories. The state had also urged the Centre to provide a matching grant of Rs 200 crore to the revolving fund set up by the State Government to help farmers avoid distress sale due to fall in prices of produce and drought and flood situations. But the Centre had not responded favourably till now.

UNI