‘Govt failed in loan waiver scheme’

Mandya MP Sumalatha Ambareesh on Tuesday took a swipe at the coalition government in the state, saying it had failed to implement the loan waiver scheme.

In her debut speech in Lok Sabha during zero hour, she said, “there is a bleak scenario for my farmers, especially sugarcane and paddy growers. Farmers are caught in a vicious cycle due to unscientific pricing for their produce, defunct sugar mills, inability to repay bank loans and failure of the state government to implement loan waiver promise.”

Many parts of the state, particularly Mandya district, faced severe water crisis and fodder shortage. Farmers committed suicide due to their inability to repay loans, she said.

“The state has been facing drought for the past several years due to failure of rainfall. This year also there was a severe drought in many parts of the state. The Centre should come to the farmers’ aid and address their problems,” she said.When she rose to address the House, Speaker Om Birla said all the members should appreciate whenever a first-timer makes a speech. Members greeted her by thumping the desks.

Starting her speech in Kannada by thanking the people of Mandya, she concluded it saying, “Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan, Jai Karnataka,” amidst thumping of desks by BJP members.Gulbarga MP Umesh Jadhav demanded one more Kendriya Vidyalaya School in Kalaburgi, saying there was an increase in the number of central government employees in the district. Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel demanded that the Centre expand the runway of the Mangaluru airport.

He made a mention of the incident of an aircraft skidding off the runway at the airport on Sunday.