The State government has disbursed ₹15,841.48 crore interest-free crop loans to 19.97 lakh farmers so far this year, an increase of ₹776.48 crore compared to 2022-23.
The government has set a target to disburse ₹24,600 crore crop loans without bank interest this year. The interest-free loans are likely to benefit a large number of farmers who have been suffering from drought in 223 taluks of the State.
CM holds meeting
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who also holds the finance portfolio, on Saturday held meetings with close to a dozen departments and discussed various proposals with Ministers to be included in the State Budget, which will be tabled in the Legislative Assembly on February 16.
Mr. Siddaramaiah held discussions with Ministers and officials of the departments such as Health and Family Welfare, Horticulture, Mines and Geology, Planning, Higher Education, Water Resources, Forests, and Environment, and Cooperation.
Sources said that Mr. Siddaramaiah is expected to hold more meetings in the coming days to discuss various projects and schemes to be included in the Budget.
KPCC media wing vice-chairman and MLC Dinesh Guli Gowda, in a press release, said crops on more than 48,000 hectares had been affected and the Budget is expected to provide more relief to drought-hit farmers.
