Times
of India: Belagavi: Saturday, 19 December 2015.
Karnataka is
reeling under the overburden of debts during the Siddaramaiah government's
tenure, which is poor show by a man who has tabled nine annual budgets in his
career so far and is known for fiscal discipline, said noted RTI activists
Bhimappa Gadad.
Gadad said
Siddaramaiah has availed Rs 39,161.44 crores loans from various sources
including Rs 2,519.77 crores from central government in the past 22 months,
breaking all the past records. According to information availed under RTI act
from finance department, present total debt on the state is Rs 1,05,584.23
crores.
SM Krishna
government between 1999 to 2004 had availed Rs 35,902.30 crores loan and
Congress- JD(S) coalition government between 2004-2007 led by Dharam Singh and
HD Kumarswami had taken total Rs 19,181.69 crores. Later, BJP government led by
BS Yeddyurappa, DV Sadananda Gowda and Jagadish Shettar had availed the total loan
of Rs 48,476 crores in the five years term. Siddaramaiah has taken maximum loan
in the shortest term and made repayment of Rs 17,241.07 crores just on
interest.
According to
Gadad, one can't have disputes that Siddaramaiah made the payment of farmers
loan waiver that declared by BJP at the end of its term besides waiver of
interest and penal interest on crop loans this year. But being a senior
experienced finance minister he should take the decisions carefully instead
pushing the state into debt trap, Gadad opined speaking to the TOI.
As per the
statistics provided by finance department, consecutive governments are always
on front-foot in getting loans from different sources despite they have failed
in providing proper electricity, water, seeds and fertilizer and fair price for
farmers' produces, Gadad said.
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