Ahead of the State Budget that will be presented by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on March 7, the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) on Tuesday demanded a “pro-farmer” Budget by releasing a booklet listing out their demands.
The 30-page booklet was released in Mysuru by KRRS president Badagalapura Nagendra. He was accompanied by several farmer leaders.
The leaders have raised the issues concerning the farmers and difficulties they have been facing due to certain policy decisions, demanding their immediate corrections.
The KRRS has sought a system to be introduced by the State government where the financial institutions coming under its control disburse loans to farmers and women, in a bid to free them from the clutches of microfinance institutions and other financial institutions.
While demanding that the State government should not cut loans as done by the NABARD, at zero interest rates, the Sangha said the short-term loans of up to ₹5 lakh should be continued by the State, mobilising funds from its own resources.
Among the farmers’ other demands include, no collateral should be demanded for short-term loans from farmers and free power supply sought for farm pump-sets besides 12 hours of three phase power supply to the irrigation pump-sets.
The KRRS has also demanded power subsidy to coffee growers and drip irrigation subsidy for sugarcane growers in addition to encourage farmers in Malnad areas for cultivating paddy.
Stressing their strong opposition to any forcible loan recovery processes by the financial institutions and banks, the sangha has urged the State government to act against forcible loan recoveries, and demanded that the State government should not bring any new rules that are detrimental to farmers and farming.
It has, however, sought certain changes in the existing laws that largely concern farmers. Elaborating the reasons for changes in the Land Reforms Act, the Sangha demanded strengthening of the APMC Act among other demands.
