Karnataka Farmers Claim Loan Waiver Money Missing From Accounts

Approximately 13,000 farmers have alleged that the loan waiver credited to them had gone from their accounts.

Image used for representation.

(Photo courtesy: mckaysavage/Flickr)

Approximately 13,000 farmers across the state have allegedly been deprived of the money deposited in their accounts under the state’s loan waiver scheme, according to a report by The News Minute.

Farmer organisations have alleged that the loan waiver scheme was an eyewash to make people vote for the coalition government. Honappa Hayyalappa, a farmer from Kalaburgi, told TNM that the government was ‘out to get them’ as people hadn’t voted for the JD(S) or the Congress in the state.

“On 28 February, the government deposited Rs 50,000 in my bank account. On 17 April, Rs 43,535 was deposited. With this, I was happy that my loan will be waived. Suddenly, the money just disappeared, and on 2-3 June, a total of Rs 93,535 just vanished from my account. When I went to the bank and asked them what happened, they said that the government had issued a notice to all banks to refund the loan waiver amount back to the state government.”

Shivappa, a 60-year-old farmer from Kalaburgi to TNM

Honappa Hayyalappa said that farmers in north Karnataka were aware of how the government felt about them.

“This time, many people had voted for the BJP. We know how the government feels about farmers in north Karnataka. They do not care, and they have never done so. Our chief minister has also made so many statements in the past disregarding our needs. He had also told people of north Karnataka that since we did not vote for the JD(S) during the Assembly elections, why should the government help us. Is this the way they are exacting revenge now? Aren’t governments supposed to help us?” he reportedly told TNM.

According to TNM, the state government had announced prior to the Lok Sabha poll results that Rs 4,830 crore worth loans had been waived for 7.49 lakh farmers up to April 2019 while loans worth Rs 3,488 crore were waived for 8.1 lakh farmers by cooperative banks.

Discrepancies Only in Nationalised Banks: CM Kumaraswamy

According to TNM, Kumaraswamy said that discrepancies were noted in the accounts of 13,988 farmers during an audit conducted on 10 June.

“I have called a meeting with representatives of various banks on 14 June at 2:30 pm to discuss this specific issue. Meanwhile, the banks have been asked to explain why the money has been refunded,” the CM reportedly said.

“Since this morning (Tuesday), news is being circulated that the state government had deposited the money ahead of the elections only to win votes. What will you (the media) benefit from this? The discrepancies have occurred in nationalised banks. You (the media) praise Modi every day. Why not question him about this?”

CM Kumaraswamy as reported by TNM

TNM reported quoting sources in the co-operation department that banks were directed by the state government to refund the money to the exchequer.

“Every transaction for loan waiver is done only after it is cleared by the respective taluk committees. This could not have happened without their knowledge,” the source reportedly said.

(With inputs from The News Minute)