During a visit to the district on Monday, Deputy Chief Minister R Ashoka called on all nationalised banks to waive farm loans.
“The Union government should help farmers affected by the drought. The State government has already waived up to Rs 25,000 of loans drawn by farmers from cooperative societies and banks,” said the Minister.
He added that Union ministers had therefore no right to criticise the work of the State government. “Our government have put in some efforts to solve the problems. If they can, let the ministers at least help the loan waiver,” Ashoka challenged.
Drought assess
He was addressing members of the media after he making a round of the district to assess the impact of the drought.
Ashoka explained that the State government had not completely sidelined the Paramashivaiah Report, the implementation of which would be discussed again.
“But the Yettinahole project will be implemented right now, to alleviate the shortage of water in the area,” he said.
Cloud-seeding
Ashoka revealed that the State government is also planning cloud-seeding, since there are no shortages of funds to deal with the continued drought in Karnataka.
“Action forces have already started at taluk-levels, and will be started at hobli-levels as well,” he said. “The matter of increasing the rates of private tankers that supply drinking water to villages in the district will be discussed in a higher level meeting,” added the Minister.
State tour
The Chief Minister is to visit the districts in northern Karnataka to assess the drought situation.
Similarly, Deputy Chief Minister K S Eeshwarappa will soon visit districts in central Karnataka and the Old Mysore area, Ashoka said.
The Minister also visited Chikka Andahalli, Thimmapura, Karalli and Boodikote dam area on Monday.