Karnataka waives 10 lakh farmers’ loans in 30 days

TNN

February 27, 2019

Bengaluru, Feb 27: Facing flak from the opposition BJP in general and from Prime Minister Narendra Modi in particular over the slow pace of writing off farm loans, the government has accelerated the process, so much so that over 10 lakh farmers have benefited from the scheme in less than a month.

Data shows the JD(S)-Congress government has released Rs 4,163 crore towards the farm loan waiver scheme, benefiting 10.4 lakh farmers, till February 26. The government has so far released Rs 2,363 crore to 6.4 lakh commercial bank accounts and Rs 1,800 crore to accounts of 4 lakh farmers in cooperative banks.

“After identifying beneficiaries through the specially developed software, the seventh list of beneficiaries was released on Tuesday,” said Munish Moudgil, Commissioner, Survey and Settlements and Land Records. “The implementation of the (crop loan waiver) scheme is being accelerated with an aim to cover all eligible crop loans in co-operative institutions and commercial banks at the earliest.”

The scheme was a key electoral promise made by chief minister HD Kumaraswamyin the run up to last year’s assembly election. The opposition BJP has been accusing the JD(S)-Congress government of betraying farmers, saying the benefit had reached only a handful.

Taking advantage of the delay in rolling out the scheme, Modi has been taunting the government and accused the Congress of misleading farmers on loan waiver promises. He said the government is offering “lollipops”. Asked why he described the announcements as “lollipops”, the PM said: “To say a lie and mislead, that is what I call a lollipop.”

Responding to the charge, Kumaraswamy said, “Waiving crop loans is a commitment our coalition government made to farmers of the state to safeguard their interests.”

Although the scheme was announced in July last year, there was inordinate delay in releasing funds as farmers had taken loans from different sources (cooperative banks, public sector banks and private banks) and software had to be developed to identify genuine beneficiaries. The demand for early implementation also mounted pressure on the ruling JD(S)-Congress coalition, especially after Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh also announced similar schemes.

“Earlier, there were problems regarding verification of Aadhaar and ration cards,” Mallesh, a farmer leader, said. “The issue led to the delay. That was sorted out. But now bankers are proving to be a stumbling block for farmers since they are not making it easy to submit details.”

Loans waived as on Feb 26

* Commercial banks: 6.4 lakh farmers Rs 2,363 crore

* Cooperative banks: 4 lakh farmers Rs 1,800 crore

* Total: 10.4 lakh farmers, Rs 4,163 crore.

* North Karnataka districts will get a major chunk of Rs 46,753 crore being spent for farm loans.

* Rs 29,190 crore will be spent on 12 northern districts

* Old Mysuru, comprising 12 districts, will get Rs 12,073 crore

* Central Karnataka districts will get Rs 3,981 crore

* Three coastal districts will get Rs 1,507 crore.

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QR-code tips power Mangaluru's major drug bust: 25 arrested in 2 weeks

News Network

December 16,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 16: The Mangaluru City police have significantly escalated their campaign against drug trafficking, arresting 25 individuals and booking 12 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act between November 30 and December 13. The crackdown resulted in the seizure of a substantial quantity of illicit substances, including 685.6 grams of MDMA and 1.5 kg of ganja.

The success of this recent drive has been significantly boosted by the city’s innovative, QR code-based anonymous reporting system.

"The anonymous reporting system has received an encouraging response. Several recent arrests were made based on inputs received through this system, helping police tighten the noose around drug peddlers," said the City Police Commissioner.

The latest arrests contribute to a robust year-to-date record, underscoring the police's relentless commitment to combating the drug menace.

Up to December 14 this year, the police have registered a total of 107 cases of drug peddling, leading to the arrest of 219 peddlers. Furthermore, they have booked 562 cases of drug consumption, resulting in the arrest of 671 individuals.

The scale of the seizure for the year reflects the magnitude of the problem being tackled: police have seized 320.6 kg of ganja worth ₹88.7 lakh and 1.4 kg of MDMA valued at ₹1.2 crore. Other significant seizures include hydro-weed ganja worth ₹94.7 lakh and cocaine worth ₹1.9 lakh, among others.

The Commissioner emphasized a policy of rigorous enforcement: "We ensure that peddlers are caught red-handed so that they cannot later dispute the case or claim innocence."

To counter the rising trend of substance abuse among youth, the Mangaluru City police have rolled out uniform guidelines for random drug testing across educational institutions.

As part of the drive, tests were conducted in approximately 100 institutions, screening an estimated 5,500 to 6,000 students in the first phase. 20 students tested positive for drug consumption during the initial screening.

Students who tested positive have been provided counselling and are scheduled for re-testing in the second quarter. The testing will also be expanded to students not covered in the first phase. In a move to ensure strict implementation, police personnel were deployed in mufti in some institutions. Reiterating a zero-tolerance stance, the Commissioner confirmed that random testing will continue, and colleges have also been instructed to conduct drug tests at the time of admission to deter substance abuse from an early stage.

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