Notice to farmers: H D Kumaraswamy warns cooperative banks

Bengaluru: Irked by reports of a cooperative bank issuing notices to farmers asking them to  repay pending loans, Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy has warned of action against such bank officials. Speaking to reporters after a review meeting on farm loan waiver, Mr Kumaraswamy said that deputy commissioners (DCs) and superintendents of police(SPs) would be asked to book cases against bank officials and their lawyers if such notices were served on farmers.

Recently, a farmer in Vijayapura had committed suicide after receiving such a notice from a bank. The government is committed to waive farm loans and is in the process of repaying these loans to banks. The officials have to send the  claim bills to the finance department for reimbursement, he said. The CM revealed that two committees constituted to recommend guidelines for farm loan waiver had submitted their recommendations.

The government will be getting details of the number of family members directly from the farmers who will have to fill a form. The process of waiving loans taken from nationalised banks too will start from November 1. The chief secretary will finalise the details during the Bankers meeting this week. Since the government has already set aside Rs 6,500 crore in the budget for repaying nationalised banks this year, there would be no additional financial burden, he added.