No rift, all alright says Kumaraswamy on alliance with Congress in Karnataka
Refuting reports of differences between the Congress and JDS on presenting a full fledged state budget, Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy said he planned to table a new budget in the first or second week of July.
"It is a personal suggestion of Siddaramaiah and it would be considered for discussion at the ministerial meeting to be held in the next two days to prepare for the budget presentation," Kumaraswamy said at a meet-the-press programme here.
Former Chief Minister and Chairman of the Congress-JDS coordination committee Siddaramaiah had last week expressed his strong reservations over presenting a new full fledged budget, saying there was no need for such an exercise.
Siddaramaiah
had
said
he
had
already
tabled
the
budget
as
chief
minister
a
few
months
ago.
Kumaraswamy
had,
however,
strongly
pushed
for
a
new
budget
and
took
up
the
issue
with
Congress
president
Rahul
Gandhi
during
his
meeting
with
him
in
New
Delhi
yesterday
and
later
said
he
had
got
the
go-ahead
from
him.
He said the coalition government planned to present its first budget in the first or second week of July.
Kumraswamy also assured farmers of his government's commitment to waive farm loans in a "scientific way."
"I am going to call a meeting with all nationalised banks to chart out the modalities to waive loans of farmers," he said.
Kumaraswamy is expected to make an announcement on the farm loan-waiver scheme in the budget.
He
also
said
he
has
sought
50
per
cent
Central
assistance
for
waiving
the
farm
loans.
"In
Karnataka,
about
85
lakh
farmers
have
outstanding
debts
on
account
of
agricultural
loans
from
banks.
Owing
to
the
recurring
drought,
the
farmers
are
even
more
severely
distressed.
I
request
the
government
of
India
to
provide
50
per
cent
support
to
our
loan-waiver
scheme,"
he
said.
He also said the government would work towards a scheme to ensure that farmers get the loan without any difficulty and role of middlemen, who siphon off some money, is removed.
Kumaraswamy also sought to allay the popular fears that the government would face financial crunch to take up other developmental works if it waives a huge sum of Rs 53,000 crore farm loan.
According to the reports, the Congress is wary of the implications of farm loan waiver and officials have informed Kumaraswamy about tough times ahead in implementing it.
The farm loan waiver was one of the major promises JDS had made in its election manifesto during the recent assembly polls.