Don’t blame government for farmers suicide: Congress leader Shamanur Shivashankarappa

HUBBALLI: At a time when Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his cabinet colleagues are making fervent appeals to farmers not to commit suicide, senior minister and veteran Congress leader Shamanur Shivashankarappa on Wednesday said the government could not be held responsible as most growers ended their lives because of their inability to repay loans borrowed from private finance firms and money lenders.

In his statement to the media, which attracted criticism from farmers’ leaders, the minister said agriculture marketing, one of his portfolios, had no role in prevention of suicides. “Farmers are taking loans at exorbitant rate of interest from Marwaris who are engaged in money lending business. We have never told distressed farmers to borrow money from them. Therefore, what can we do if farmers commit suicide after taking these loans?” asked the minister.

The minister dealt at length about various initiatives taken up by him to ensure fair price for farm produce during an hour-long interaction with the media. He also spoke about various measures to provide easy loans to farmers by financial institutions and online trading systems adopted in agriculture produce marketing committees across Karnataka. Irked by the minister’s comments, Karnataka State Sugarcane Growers Association president Kurubur Shanthakumar asked how minister to speak on these lines when sugar factories owned by him have not yet paid arrears to farmers.