Kumaraswamy seeks Centre's support to farm loan waiver

Agencies
June 17, 2018

Bengaluru, Jun 17: Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy today requested the Central government for 50 percent support to his government's farm loan waiver scheme.

"Debt of farmers is staring us in the face. My government is ready to address this problem and I request the Government of India to support us," he said.

In his address at the 4th meeting of the NITI Ayog governing council in New Delhi, a copy of which was shared with the media here, the chief minister said in Karnataka about 85 lakh farmers have outstanding debts on account of agricultural loans from banks.

He said, "Due to recurring droughts, the distress of the farmers is even more severe. I request the Government of India to provide 50 percent support for our loan waiver initiative."

Kumaraswamy is under intense pressure to announce the farm loan waiver that his party, the JD(S) had promised in the run-up to the assembly elections in Karnataka.

After initially citing coalition compulsions for the delay, the chief minister on May 30 amid the opposition and farmers' bodies stepped up pressure on him to fulfil his pre-poll promise, had said his government would arrive at a decision to implement a two-phase scheme for farm loan waiver within 15 days.

With the 15-day deadline coming to an end on June 15, Kumaraswamy reiterated that he was committed to waiving the farm loan and would announce it shortly.

"Dear farmers, let there be no confusion on the farm loan waiver. I am fully committed to the loan waiver. I want to ensure it is done scientifically benefiting a maximum number of farmers. I am working on the modalities and will announce it shortly," he had said in a tweet on Friday.

Addressing the NITI Aayog governing council meeting for the first time, Chief Minister Kumaraswamy said the new government has to fulfil several aspirations of the people of Karnataka, and "we need the full support of the Government of India for this."

"While we represent various political ideologies, when it comes to development we should work together," he said.

Stressing the need for gearing up to climate resilient agriculture, Kumaraswamy said, the climate change is a reality, especially so in the agriculture sector.

"I call upon the Government of India to harness national and international expertise to develop a comprehensive framework, strategies and practices for ushering a climate resilient agriculture revolution in the country," he added.

Noting that water is becoming a scarce resource and is going to be a limiting factor for growth, both in agriculture as well as other sectors, he also suggested dedicating a full decade for "extensive and intensive" water conservation efforts.

Highlighting that allocation to Karnataka for the period 2015-20 under SDRF (State Disaster Response Fund) is only Rs 1,375 crore, which is much less than the allocation to other states, the chief minister said the state's unmet needs are huge but has not been addressed either in the Finance Commission award or under the NDRF.

"A comprehensive discussion is needed on this issue," he added.

Kumaraswamy further said he is sure the NITI Aayog will prove its federal character given the developmental disparities in India and added the Aayog and the Union government must re-emphasise federal and participative medium-term planning with concrete goals and inclusive development programmes.

Comments

Sandesh
 - 
Sunday, 17 Jun 2018

If state CM cant do loan waiving, why you promised it in election campaigns. 

Ramprasad
 - 
Sunday, 17 Jun 2018

HDK promised loan waiving. He failed to meet that and now seeking centre support?

Suresh
 - 
Sunday, 17 Jun 2018

Feku may waive loans for Mallya and Neerav Modi. Not for farmers

Farooq
 - 
Sunday, 17 Jun 2018

Centre wont support. State cant do alone. Here the Yeddy wins

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News Network
June 23,2020

Bengaluru, June 23: A frustrated chartered accountant has committed suicide after killing his wife and mother-in-law in two different cities of India.

The murder-murder-suicide came amid acrimonious divorce proceedings that might have also involved a property dispute, police said.

Amit flew to Bengaluru last weekend to kill his estranged wife at her Whitefield residence before returning to Kolkata, where he shot dead his mother-in-law and then killed himself at an upscale residential complex in North Kolkata on Monday evening.

Amit and his wife Shilpi Agarwal, who is also a CA, had been living separately since last the two years after their marriage turned sour.

Amit took his 10-year-old son from Bengaluru with him on Monday and dropped him at his uncle’s house before heading to his in-laws’ place Phoolbagan, police said.

Neighbours told cops they heard arguments “appeared to be” over some property documents that Amit wanted his in-laws — 70-year-old Subhas and 62-year-old Lalita Dhandhania — to sign.

The first gunshot was heard a little before 6.30pm, following which Subhas ran out of his flat, bolted the door from outside and took refuge inside his next-door neighbour’s apartment. Police arrived a few minutes later to find Amit and his mother-in-law dead. Police found a suicide note from the flat.

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News Network
February 22,2020

Bengaluru, Feb 22: President Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday said an ideal trade-off needs to be reached between new media -- which is fast and popular -- and traditional media which has developed skills to authenticate a news report, which is a costly operation.

Addressing the fourth edition of ‘the Huddle’ – the annual thought conclave of the Hindu here, he asserted that the internet and social media had democratised journalism and revitalised democracy, but had also led to many anxieties.

While the new media was fast and popular and people could choose what they wanted to watch, hear or read, traditional media would have to introspect on its role in society and find ways to earn the reader’s full trust again as "the project of democracy was incomplete without informed citizens – which means, without unbiased journalism."

Debate and discussion were internalised in India’s social psyche to arrive at truth since time immemorial, he said.

"There is no doubt that perception of truth is conditioned by circumstances. The conditions that cloud the truth’s positions are effectively dispelled by a contestation of ideas through debate, discussion and scientific temper. Prejudices and violence vitiate the search for truth."

Expressing happiness to attend ‘The Huddle’ organised by The Hindu, he said the Hindu group of publications had been relentlessly aiming to capture the essence of this great country through its responsible and ethical journalism. He commended them for their insistence on sticking to the five basic principles of journalism – truth-telling, freedom and independence, justice, humaneness and contributing to the social good, an official release here said.

Mr Kovind said dogmas and personal prejudices distorted the truth. In the 150th year of Gandhiji’s birth, he asked all to ponder over this question: "will it not be proper to pursue truth itself as the ideology? Gandhiji has shown us the path by walking ceaselessly in search of truth which would ultimately encompass every positive attribute that enriches the universe."

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News Network
May 22,2020

Bengaluru, May 22: The Karnataka government, which has fixed Rs 200 as fine for not wearing masks and covering faces to contain coronavirus spread, has collected Rs 3.43 lakh from 15,000 people as fine from May 5 till date.

"From May 5, the government has collected Rs 3,43,000 by fining 1,715 citizens for nor wearing masks or covering their faces," the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagar Palike (BBMP) Commissioner said in a statement.

Here is a zone-wise chart showing fines that have been collected:

Meanwhile, Karnataka Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar said the state has reached its target of scaling up to 10,000 tests per day by conducting 11,499 tests on Thursday. In Kalaburagi, where the first COVID-19 case was confirmed in the State, conducted over 1000 tests yesterday.

"By conducting 11,449 COVID-19 tests yesterday, we reached our target of scaling up to 10,000 tests per day Kalaburagi that saw the first COVID-19 case in the state conducted over 1000 tests yesterday," Sudhakar said.

As per the Union Health Ministry, Karnataka has 1,605 positive cases, of which 571 have been recovered and discharged and 41 have succumbed to the infection.

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