Textiles Minister Shivanand Patil has waded into a controversy by saying that farmers keep wishing for repeated droughts as they can avail loan waiver benefits. The statement drew strong reaction from farmers organisations and Opposition parties.
He was speaking at the foundation day celebrations of the Suttatti Primary Agriculture Cooperative Society near Chikkodi in Belagavi district.
He said at the convention, “The waters of the Krishna are freely available for irrigation and power supply for irrigation pumpsets is free too. Due to drought, the Chief Minister has distributed seeds and fertilisers free of cost. Now farmers wish for repeated droughts so that they can get their loans waived. But that is not right. We should not think in that manner. Because climatic conditions are such that even if you do not wish for it, there will be a drought once every three to four years and the government helps farmers during a crisis,” he said.
