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Farmers will not repay loans: KRRS

By Our Staff Correspondent

BELGAUM FEB. 1 . The General Secretary of the Karnataka Rajya Raita Sangha (KRRS), K.T. Gangadharaiah, said here on Saturday that the farmers would not repay loans until they got "scientific price" for their produce. He also urged the Government to ensure market stability.

Mr. Gangadharaiah said the Chief Minister, S.M. Krishna, had submitted a memorandum to the Union Government that 156 taluks in the State were facing drought. He had promised to the farmers that farm loan recovery would be stopped.

Mr. Gangadharaiah said the banking institutions had launched campaign to recover the crop loan.

Though Mr. Krishna had promised that power supply to irrigation pumpsets would not be disconnected, the KPTCL authorities were using police for recovery from poor farmers.

Mr. Gangadharaiah warned that the Government was creating law and order problem through its dual policies.

He said the entry of any official to the villages, — either to recover the loan or disconnect power to IP sets — would be considered "illegal" and "unconstitutional". Farmers would react to protect their rights, he added. Mr. Gangadharaiah said there was Rs. 5.28 crore due in respect of power bill from 50 institutions, including gram panchayats, in the State. The Government was not in a position to clear these bills and expected the farmers to repay the loans.

Of the every one rupee collected as tax, 60 paise was generated from direct and indirect taxes on farm produce and its by-products. If the Government paid back even one per cent of it, all the loans on farmers would be cleared, he added.

He said the immediate requirement of the farmers was to ensure fodder and drinking water to cattle. Stating that the Government had not yet established fodder banks, he said.

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