Karnataka to urge Centre for nationwide farm loan waiver amid drought
Karnataka will ask the Centre to waive farm loans nationally, citing drought in multiple states, while submitting a drought relief memorandum.
Karnataka will urge the Union government to announce a nationwide farm loan waiver, Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara said on Friday. The state is preparing to submit a memorandum to the Centre seeking drought assistance, and the loan waiver demand will be part of that appeal.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Parameshwara, who holds the Revenue portfolio, said a central waiver would provide comprehensive relief to farmers. He noted that drought conditions prevail in parts of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar as well, and recalled that former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had waived farm loans worth ₹72,000 crore.
"I will urge the Union government to consider this," he said, adding that such a step could benefit farmers across the country.
The state has declared 101 taluks as drought-affected after reviewing the situation. Parameshwara said the memorandum would be prepared and submitted to the Centre, following which central teams would visit Karnataka to assess the ground situation before releasing relief funds.
The opposition BJP has been demanding that the state government waive farm loans to ease the distress caused by the drought.