Horticulture Dept, Bank officials keeping areca farmers in dark about fund package'

Mangalore, September 18: Although the Union Finance Ministry has directed that the interest on loans taken by arecanut growers be waived off and the duration of loan be extended to eleven years, bank officials and those in the State Horticulture Department have kept areca growers of Dakshina Kannada in the dark, Sachin Meega, State Vice President of Kisan Kheth Mazdoor Congress KPCC, said.

Addressing media persons at Press Club in Mangalore on Tuesday, Mr. Meega said that P Chidambaram, Union Finance Minister, had promised a package for areca growers besides informing about the waiving off interest on their loans and the extension of loan duration to eleven years, at a meeting held in New Delhi on September 4, in the presence of Union Minister M Veerappa Moily, Oscar Fernandes, MP, and Jayaprakash Hegde, MP. A notice has been sent by the NABARD chief directing of disbursement of funds to areca farmers (Rs.6000 per acre up to 5 acres) under the supervision of the Horticulture Department but officials of the Department as well as bank officials have not given areca farmers the right information and have kept them in the dark, he alleged.

If concerned officials do not do the needful, the district Raitha Sangha and areca growers will resort to agitation, he warned.

Welcoming the decision of the Union Government to extend the repayment of loan period to eleven years, Mr. Meega said that farmers need not resort to suicides now. “It was bank notices that were driving farmers towards committing suicide but they need not take that step now”, he said.