Bangalore: State Cabinet Clears Farm Loan Waiver to the Tune of Rs 3,500 Crore

From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Aug 23: As many as 15 lakh farmers stand to benefit following the State Cabinet’s decision to approve the waiver of cooperative farm loans upto Rs 25,000 availed between August 1, 2011 and July 25 this year as recently announced by Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar in the Karnataka Assembly.

The decision on waiver of cooperative farm loans would put a financial burden of Rs 3,5000 crore to the State Exchequer.

Announcing the State Cabinet’s decision, Primary and Secondary Education Minister Visveshwara Hegde Kageri said the official government order for giving effect to the decision would be issued shortly.

The Cabinet also decided to launch the Own Seed Development Scheme at a cost of Rs 50 crore.

Arrangements would be made through various agencies for processing and certification of seeds grown by farmers, while necessary infrastructure and financial assistance would be provided under this scheme, the minister said.

Rs 2,160 Crore for Development of Roads

The Cabinet also decided to take up development of 30 km of roads in each of the 189 rural segments at a cost of Rs 2,160 crore.

He said 20 km of such rural roads have already been developed or are in the process of being completed.

As many as 53 housing projects of Karnataka Housing Board worth Rs 7,888 crore were also given the green signal. The Karnataka Housing Board would develop 1,30,471 plots and build 6,867 houses, Kageri said.

The National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) was allotted about 40 acres of land at Kyalasanahalli, in the city outskirts, to start a “northern campus.”

A sum of Rs 300 crore would be released for constructing laboratories, toilets, and additional classrooms in degree colleges. As many as 19 private law colleges would get government grants, Kageri said.

Karnataka will be participating in the national land records modernisation programme as per another decision of the State Cabinet.

The Central Government would be providing financial assistance to the tune of 60 per cent, while the State has to contribute the balance 40 per cent, the minister said,

A cabinet sub-committee for overseeing filling up backlog posts of SCs and STs was reorganised with Kannada and Culture Minister Govind M Karjol as its chairman.