'Arecanut revival prog failed to reach growers in DK'

Bankers do not disseminate information on rescheduling of loans: Meega

Arecanut rejuvenation programme under the National Horticulture Mission has not benefited the farmers in Dakshina Kannada, owing to lack of communication with the farmers, said Kissan Kheth Mazdoor Congress Vice-President Sachin Meega.

Addressing a press meet here on Tuesday, he said that under the scheme, the Centre had released Rs 10 crore to the State, to help the arecanut growers to grow alternative crops like pepper, cocoa and so on.

According to the scheme, the arecanut growers will get financial assistance of Rs 6,000 per acre to replace disease-hit arecanut trees and to grow other alternative crops. Unfortunately, the officials from the horticulture department have failed to disseminate the information to the farmers.

He said around 15,000 arecanut growers in N R Pura, Koppa, Sringeri and Mudieger have been benefited under the scheme.

“The State government had written a letter to the Centre on October 18, 2011 stating that the farmers in Dakshina Kannada have not opted for the arecanut rejuvenation programme. Hence, the Centre should allow the State to utilise the funds under the scheme for other purpose. However, the Centre had rejected the proposal of the State,” Sachin Meega  said.

Meega said that 481 farmers in Chikmagalur, Udupi, Dakshina Kannada and Shimoga districts have committed suicide between 2003 and 2011. However, the State government had not released funds to help the arecanut growers affected with fruit rot disease in Dakshina Kannada, yellow leaf disease in Udupi, Chikmagalur and Shimoga districts.

Outstanding loans

A meeting held under the Presidentship of Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram on September 4, has decided to extend the scheme for improving productivity and farm income of arecanut based farming system in Uttara Kannada to the arecanut growing farmers of the entire State. Accordingly, the government has decided to reschedule the outstanding loans borrowed by the arecanut growers.

Under the scheme, all outstanding loans as on March 31, 2009, shall be rescheduled. The repayment period for the rescheduled loans, including fresh loans, will be 11 years. No penal interest to be charged on the outstanding loans for the period from April 1, 2009 to March 31, 2011 to be waived by respective banks.

Inspite of the Nabard issuing a circular to all the bankers, the nationalised banks in Uppinangady and Ujire have started issuing notices to the farmers and attaching their property, having failed to repay the loan, he said and added that the farmers do not have knowledge on the rescheduling of outstanding loans.

Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha Hasiru Sene State Secretary Kumara Subrahmanya Shastri Manila said that if the authorities concerned fail to reach out to the arecanut growers on the rescheduling of the loans and on arecanut rejuvenation programme, the Raitha Sangha members will intensify the protest in Dakshina  Kannada.