Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP) 

Bengaluru, Nov 28: The state government has decided to issue loan clearance letters to farmers in the state who are beneficiaries of the loan waiver scheme, before the end of March 2019. 

This instruction was passed on by Karnataka chief minister, H D Kumaraswamy, on Tuesday November 27 at a meeting of deputy commissioners and chief executive officers of the zilla panchayats held in Vidhana Soudha. 

He said that information about loans raised by farmers from cooperative banks is being put together. "We have instructed to pool documentary proof from farmers having loan liabilities in nationalized banks with effect from December 7. By January the collection of documents relating to loan should be completed, and loan clearance certificate issuance should begin immediately thereafter," he told the officials. 

Speaking at a press meet later, the chief minister said that he has not been pursuing the policy of procrastination on the issue of loan waiver. He said that a senior IAS officer has already been appointed as nodal officer for the scheme, and he has been instructed to collect documents relating to farm loans. 

"On experimental basis, we have started implementation of the scheme in Doddaballapur and Sedam taluks. We have also been releasing money for waiving loans of farmers who have submitted documents," he stated. He also gave the information that out of 21 lac farmers who have raised loans from cooperative banks, two lac have submitted their records and the government has already released Rs 800 crore towards clearance of their dues. 

"As per information received from 6,500 branches of nationalized banks, loan information about 20.8 lac farmers have been gathered. The information so far collected works out to 92 percent of farmers. We will make them liability-free. In the meantime, opposition BJP leaders should have some patience, as our government is committed to meet the promises made. The government has not issued warrants to farmers, but nationalized banks are doing so. We have not been harassing them, and we are determined to waive their loans," he explained. 

Kumaraswamy said that 200 acres of land has been bought for building houses for those who have become destitute due to natural calamity in Kodagu. "We have decided to build 1,000 houses for them at the rate of ten lac rupees each. The construction will be initiated on December8," the chief minister said. 

The chief minister also said that a cabinet sub-committee headed by revenue minister, R V Deshpande, has been formed for handling drought situation. He added that Rs 50 lac for each of the taluks has been released for meeting drinking water needs, and as of now, no acute drinking water problem has arisen anywhere in the state. He also clarified that certain rules have been relaxed to enable deputy commissioners to take on the spot decisions relating to drinking water.