BY Vijayendra Demands Rs 5 Lakh Farm Loan Waiver, Special Assembly Session

Karnataka BJP president B Y Vijayendra on Thursday urged the state government to waive crop loans of up to Rs 5 lakh and convene a special session of the state legislature to discuss the worsening problems confronting farmers due to rainfall deficit. Addressing a press conference in Sindhanur after concluding the third day of the 'Ballari Chalo' padayatra, the state party chief demanded urgent administrative intervention for drought-hit cultivators.

Vijayendra also called upon the state government to publish a white paper detailing the sources of funds being allocated for its guarantee schemes. Raising financial grievances faced by agriculturalists, he stated that the government has not yet cleared pending dues amounting to Rs 145 crore owed to farmers for the procurement of white jowar.

Highlighting the agrarian crisis across the state, Vijayendra alleged that 3,655 farmers have ended their lives since the Congress came to power in Karnataka. He noted that 936 farmers have died by suicide in the Kalyana Karnataka region alone over the last three years, accusing the administration of neglecting the farming community while remaining in a deep slumber.

According to figures shared by the BJP leader, crop loss has driven 294 farmers in Kalaburagi district, 220 in Bidar district, 160 in Raichur district, and more than 80 farmers in Koppal district to end their lives.

Turning to irrigation concerns, Vijayendra demanded that priority be given to the construction of the Navali balancing reservoir. He stated that the previous BJP government under B S Yediyurappa had released Rs 14 crore for the project to store water following the accumulation of 30 tmcft of silt in the Tungabhadra reservoir. While a tripartite meeting of the chief ministers of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana was held to deliberate on the matter, he pointed out that nothing came out of the discussions and the present government has taken no action.

The press conference was attended by MLAs Dr Shivaraj Patil and Doddanagouda Patil, BJP Raitha Morcha state president S S Patil Nadahalli, as well as leaders Pratapgouda Patil, Sunil Kumar, Raju Gowda, N Ravikumar, and Sharanayya Soppimath.