BJP to offer loans at three pc to artisans, farmers

Chitradurga, Apr 11 (UNI) BJP leader B S Yeddyurappa today said the the party would come out an election manifesto within a few days, making ''realistic promises'' offereing loans at three per cent interest to farmers and artisans.

Speaking to reporters here, he said the party was committed to uplift the downtrodden and extend old age pensions under Sandhya Suraksha Yogana to more people and widow pension even to woman who had children.

''We will offer what we can give in reality and not make false promises. We will write off all the unpaid power bills of 16,000 pumpsets owned by poor farmers,'' he said.

On JD(S) supremo Deve Gowda's remarks that no party could form the government in Karnataka without his party's support, Mr Yeddyurappa said the former Prime Minister had betrayed both Congress and the BJP and his true colour was already known.

''Will anybody touch the JD(S) anymore. Anyway Mr Gowda's party will lose this election and will be out of the picture once the polls are over,'' he claimed.

The BJP leader denied that there was any difference of opinion between him and party general secretary Ananth Kumar.

''There is no such problem. We are working with unison and our only focus is to bring the BJP to power. These are based on unfounded media reports,'' he said.

Later, speaking at a SC/ST conclave at his home town Shikaripur in Shimoga district, he said if the BJP was voted to power, it would regularise government land cultivated by poor farmers under 'bagar hukum' and will not oust a single tribal or other family living in forest areas.

''When the Congress ruled the state and tried to vacate poor people cultivating forest land here I went on a padayatra from Shikaripur to Shimoga protesting the move and stalled it. The BJP will stand by the oppressed class and give them what they need,'' he assured.

He said during the 20-month rule with its coalition partner JD(S), the BJP had constructed 350 Scheduled Castes hostels and 50 'Murarji Residential' schools, which was his party's concept.

UNI XR RS ROY RR HS2055