Farmers in Karnataka must file for a loan waiver by 10 January 2019 with the proper documents from their registered banks, the state government said.
The farmers who are eligible for the loan waivers will receive up to Rs 2 lakh, Times of India reports.
The report further adds that banks can register a maximum of 40 farmers every day till January 10. Those who miss the deadline will be given special tokens.
Rules state that the farmers must provide their Aadhaar cards, BPL (Below Poverty Line) cards and land survey numbers issued to them. The BPL cards must have been issued on or before July 5, 2018.
The waivers will be availed to farmers who procured loans between April 1, 2009, and December 31, 2017.
This waiver follows the heels of Congress cancelling loans in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh weeks after it came to power in the three states after the assembly elections.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi had said that he would waive off the farmers' loans in the states in which the party wins.
Karnataka's BJP unit, in a tweet on December 21, tweeted: "Your govt in Karnataka had promised to waive off farmer loans in 10 days BUT even after 6 months and 377 farmer suicides, farmer loans have not been waived. [sic]"
Your govt in Karnataka had promised to waive off farmer loans in 10 days BUT even after
— BJP Karnataka (@BJP4Karnataka) December 21, 2018
6 months and
377 farmer suicides
farmer loans have not been waived.
Stop playing with lives and livelihood of farmers. You gave them false hope, used them as mere tools for your politics. https://t.co/XM1Oe8lzJQ
The BJP also told Congress not to play with farmers' lives to make their 'political ends meet'.
On December 19, Rahul Gandhi had tweeted after his triumph, announcing that he had waived off farm loans in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh within 10 days of coming into power.
31 मार्च 2018 तक का टाइम बैरियर लगा कर, छन्नी लगा कर आधी-अधूरी क़र्ज़ माफ़ी की घोषणा मेरे प्रदेश के किसान भाइयों-बहनों के साथ घोर अन्याय है। कांग्रेस को ऐसे छलावे से दूर रहना चाहिए।लेकिन, ये वो ठीक से जान ले कि मैं सोया नहीं हूँ, मै जाग रहा हूँ और मेरी पैनी नज़रें उन पर ही हैं।
— ShivrajSingh Chouhan (@ChouhanShivraj) December 20, 2018
Former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan also accused Congress of deceiving farmers in the state due to incomplete loan waivers. He said, "An immense injustice is being done to the farmers of my state by imposing a time-barrier of March 31, 2018, and announcing an incomplete loan waiver. The Congress should keep away from deceit."
He also warned Congress that he will keep an eye on them.
