Secrecy over debt relief plan irks Cong

Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy’s move to provide debt relief to small farmers is learnt to have irked a section of Congress leaders, including some ministers.

The Congress leaders are upset with the chief minister for not consulting with them before placing a proposal on promulgating the Karnataka Debt Relief ordinance 2018 in the Cabinet. A majority of the ministers were taken by surprise when the agenda copy was given to them in the Cabinet meeting held on Friday.

“It was an important policy decision. Ideally, it should have been discussed in the coordination and monitoring committee meeting. The Cabinet secretariat didn’t even share the agenda copy with the ministers,” one of the senior ministers who refused to be quoted said. However, these leaders have decided not to voice their displeasure openly as the matter pertains to farmers.