Bengaluru: The state government had given direction to nationalised banks not to serve notice or pressurise farmers for payment of loan in the wake of series of farmer suicide across the state, said Minister of State for Agriculture Krishna Byregowda.
When some members brought to his notice the fact that managers of some nationalised banks were putting pressure on farmers to repay loan advanced by them, the minister clarified that instruction had been given to all bankers in SLBC meeting not to pressurise farmers to return loans. “It is an extraordinary situation, no bank must put pressure on farmers to repay loans. Need of the hour is to instill confidence in them.”
Replying to members in the Legislative Council, Mr Krishna said besides him, other ministers like Mr T.B. Jayachandra, Mr Baburao Chinchansur, Mr S.R. Patil, Dr H.C. Mahadevappa, Mr H.S. Mahadevaprasad and Mr Shivaraj Tangadagi had visited the houses of deceased farmers to console family members.
Other ministers, in whose districts, farmers had committed suicide, would also call on families of dead farmers on Saturday and Sunday. The government headed by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was pro-farmer and it had taken several steps to empower them economically.
The minister said though, there had been a spurt in farmer suicide in some states, the union government had so far not undertaken any scientific study to understand the reasons for such deaths.
