KRRS demands priority for farmers in loan distribution

Caption: Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) leader Chunappa Pujeri speaks to the media in Belagavi on ThursdayBelagavi: Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) leaders Chunappa Pujeri and Shashikant Guruji demanded that the Belagavi District Central Co-operative Bank Ltd (BDCC Bank), led by Annasaheb Jolle, prioritise farmers while disbursing loans. While welcoming the bank's decision to distribute loans worth Rs 700 crore, they urged that industrialists, factories and defaulting entrepreneurs be kept out, and farmers be given first preference.Speaking to media on Thursday, they said BDCC Bank operates more than 100 branches, provides farm loans, crop loans, gold loans and other banking services. A decision was taken in the meeting held on Wednesday to give 297 loans to 12 factories, including Sangama Cooperative Sugar. They criticised the decision taken by BDCC Bank president Annasaheb Jolle to sanction a loan of Rs 27 crore to Sangama Sugar factory. Besides this, Belagavi Sugars, owned by the minister, also requested a loan of Rs 16 crore. BDCC Bank is a farmers' bank and it is condemnable that it is giving loans of crores of rupees to sugar factories, while incurring loss, they said.They strongly criticised the decision to give a loan of Rs 123 crore to former MLA Sanjay Patil. The loans should not be given to sugar factories in debt, and BDCC Bank should not be ruined by politics. Farmers should be given time to repay the prior loans. Also, farmers should be given loans according to their needs. Otherwise, they will lock their houses and offices and protest, the leaders warned.Prem Chougala, Prakash Umarani, Shivanand Mekkalaki and Shivanand Mugali were present.