Keeping political compulsions and the Lok Sabha election in mind, the JD(S)-Congress coalition government in Karnataka has announced additional relief for farmers.

This comes after the loan waiver announced in the Budget presented by Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy last week.

Kumaraswamy announced the fresh relief to farmers while replying to queries on the Budget in the Legislative Assembly on Thursday.

The Chief Minister, who had earlier announced a farm loan waiver of up to ₹2 lakh per head, has now declared a waiver on existing loans, too, of up to ₹1 lakh. However, the waiver applies only to loans availed in the co-operative sector.

Similarly, Kumaraswamy restored the quantum of rice distributed under the Anna Bhagya scheme via PDS, at ₹1 per kg, to 7 kg a month, against the 5 kg announced on July 2.

Unconvinced by the government’s reply on the farm loan waiver, the BJP staged a walkout before the Budget was passed.

“How you are going to raise ₹34,000 crore to repay PSU banks? In the first instalment, you have set aside only ₹6,500 crore,” remarked Opposition leader BS Yeddyurappa.

Presenting the State Budget on July 5, Kumaraswamy had said that as a resource mobilisation exercise, duty would be hiked on petrol and diesel.

Earlier in the day, there was an uproar in the House over allegations of corruption in the management of Indira Canteens.

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