'Defaulters to benefit from loan waiver schemes'

A total of 131 loan defaulters who have availed loans from the cooperative banks in the district, will avail the benefit of farmer loan waiver scheme announced by the Chief Minister.

However, those who have availed short-term crop loans from DCC banks between June 2017 and June 20, 2018, to the extent of Rs 491 crores and 34,870 farmers who have availed new loans will not be benefited, said farmers.

About 80% of coffee growers in the district have availed loans. The loan waiver will apply to the defaulters. However, the nature of proper beneficiaries could be identified only after the issuing of guidelines, said bank officials.

An amount of Rs 1.31 crore loans has remained unpaid by the 131 loan availing farmers in the district cooperative banks. The number of those who have availed loans in nationalised banks is unknown.

Expressing their disappointment, Coffee growers in the district said that the government has done injustice to them. The loan waiver scheme will only benefit the defaulters. The farmers who have repaid loans to DCC banks on time, will not be benefited, rued the growers.

Though lots of roads in the district have been ruined due to heavy rain and are in urgent need of repair, no package has been announced in the budget towards the same. There is no mention of the long-awaited declaration of Kushalanagar and Ponnampet taluks.

The Rs 10 crore package for the development of Madikeri-Talacauvery road, which was declared by the earlier government has been continued in the current budget as well. Except this, there are no large-scale projects for the district.

There is no new compensation package for the victims of wild animal attacks. The scheme by the earlier government to provide a monthly pension of Rs 2,000 to the family of the victims of wild animal attacks, for a period of five years, has been retained as well.