From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru

Bengaluru, May 30: The JD(S)-Congress coalition Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, who met representatives of farmers along with his Deputy Chief Minister Dr G Parameshwara and senior government officials in Vidhana Soudha on Wednesday, said the details of the farm loan waiver scheme will be announced in 15 days after consultations with Congress President Rahul Gandhi.

Under attack from the Opposition BJP for not fulfilling his pre-election promise of implementing the loan waiver scheme within 24 hours of becoming the Chief Minister, Kumaraswamy held three-hour long meeting with representatives of farmers groups and progressive peasants to discuss the problems faced by them.

Kumaraswamy announced crop loans of all farmers, irrespective of the amount, would be waived without depending on the Centre for its aid.

"I am not fixing any limit to waive off crop loans," he said.

He made it clear that the coalition government will take a decision in 15 days.

"In 15 days, it will get completely implemented.Whatever may be the difficulty, our government is committed to maintaining fiscal discipline, and also saving you (farmers)," Kumaraswamy said after listening to various suggestions from farmers.

However, he made it clear that the scheme would be implemented in two phases.

In the first phase, crop loans of small and marginal farmers would be waived. Farmers who borrowed loans from April 1, 2009 to December 31, 2017, will be waived, Kumaraswamy said.

Explaining the compulsions of the coalition politics and complexities involved in farm loans, the Chief Minister said he would hold another meeting in the next two to three days with chairman and general managers of nationalized commercial banks to find out ways and means for reaching one-time settlement of loans borrowed by farmers.

He said Deputy Commissioners (DCs) in each district would be appointed as nodal officers for supervising and implementing the scheme.

Farmers, who borrowed loans from cooperatives, regional rural banks and commercial banks, have to submit a details of their loans to Deputy Commissioner for availing the facility. After waiving off all loans, Runamukta certificates would be provided to farmers at their doorsteps, he declaered.

The Chief Minister said he and Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara would discuss the issue with Rahul Gandhi after the latter’s return from the US.

He said the Congress President was also committed to farm loan waiver.

Keeping in mind the fiscal discipline of the State, the two-member Cabinet needed more time to study the complex issue of writing off farm loans.

While the total crop loans stood at Rs 53,000 crore, the total outstanding farmers loans stood at Rs 1.14 lakh crore.

While some representatives of farmers demanded writing off all loans (Rs 1.14 lakh crore), the government made its commitment of waiving Rs 53,000 crore.

Both Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy and his deputy G Parameshwara admitted involvement of various complex issues in the loan waiver scheme and sought more time to get more details of loans borrowed from different types of banks.

Dr Parameshwara said it was not easy to announce the decision in one or two days. The JD(S) would have done it if it had full mandate, he said.

The coalition government needed more time to make the scheme workable "model for the country."

"Other states will replicate Karnataka model. But, support from the farming community is needed to make this experiment a successful one." the Kumaraswamy said.

With the State budget has been fixed at Rs 2 lakh crore for 2018-19, the Chief Minister mentioned that resources should also be made available for other welfare schemes and development projects. Moreover, he has to discuss the plan with the Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who is presently in the US, he said.

The coalition government was faced with an enormous job, Kumaraswamy said and explained that he too had prepared a blueprint on the proposed scheme and raised several questions on the proposal.

Many people had raised farm loans but at the same time they invested the amount for running fertilizer/pesticide business and farmers borrowed loans for purchasing vehicles, tractors, drilling borewells. Will it be good to write off such loans, he asked.

Further, he said many employees residing in City borrowed farm loans and even deposited in other financial institutions for higher interest. Many coffee planters having estates over 500 hectares borrowed crores of rupees from banks.

Besides, many farmers residing in tier-II cities borrowed for marketing related activities. The moot question is should the government waive loans of these borrowers, Kumaraswamy asked.