HD Kumaraswamy hits back at PM Modi, says banks controlled by Centre troubling farmers

BENGALURU: Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Monday hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his critical remarks on the JD(S)-Congress regime’s handling of farm loan waiver in Karnataka. On reading reports of PM Modi’s speech in an election rally in Chattisgarh on Sunday, in which he took potshots at Karnataka, Kumaraswamy first took to twitter and later spoke at a conference, to blame the Centre for the hardship farmers are facing in Karnataka.

The CM took exception to the PM’s remarks that Karnataka was issuing warrants to farmers to recover loans. It was not the state government that was issuing notices of recovery and warrants to farmers but the banks that are controlled by the Centre. The PM should not have stooped to this level, and made irresponsible statements, Kumaraswamy said.

At the election rally in Chattisgarh, Modi took a dig at AICC president Rahul Gandhi referring to the Congress manifesto promising waiver of farm loans in 10 days if the party is voted to power. The prime minister said it was six months since his party has been in power in Karnataka, yet loans had not been waived. The Congress, the PM said, would make false promises ahead of elections. It made the promise of loan waiver in Karnataka too, but was dragging its feet now.


Even as the Kumaraswamy regime is trying to meet the crop loan waiver commitment with great difficulty, it
is staring at another brewing crisis involving sugarcane growers who have taken to streets in Belgaum and Bengaluru seeking the CM’s intervention with sugar mills to clear their dues. Kumaraswamy has convened a meeting of sugar mills and farmer leaders on Tuesday to see how best he could resolve the issue.

He is also staring at another issue of additional compensation to sugarcane growers. The Centre has announced fair and remunerative price (FRP) of Rs 2,720 per tonne of sugarcane (with a sugar recovery of 10% on crushing) this year, and growers are demanding an additional Rs 200 per tonne.