The Badavara Finance Scheme is not well received by traders selling onions due to a drop in rates during sale and export times
Bengaluru, Nov. 22, 2018
By Hansy Sanctis
The Badavara Finance Scheme was launched today by Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy in the hope of satisfying vendors, traders, and farmers, with the waiver of the interest from their loans. Kumaraswamy said – “I have no words. This is the people’s wish. Poor should be brought out of their circumstances. With 1,000 to 10,000, they work, then go home in peace and then run their family. That is the intention of this program.” In conversation with The Softcopy, Shanta Kumar, an onion vendor from Bengaluru, expressed his anger on the scheme not working for vendors or farmers, especially those who are selling onions.
“The state government just introduced the schemes. But how are the farmers benefitting from this? The rate of onions has decreased due to over-production and lack of export opportunities. It would be nice if the government would listen to the pleas of the farmers and vendors when they are having a rough patch. But the chief minister has only been making promises and not following in writing. I’m not even aware of the scheme that you are talking about. Lack of proper facilities has made this place less accessible, for example, a lack of water for the thousands of vendors who come here to sell their produce.”
Bandeppa Kashampur, head of the Co-operation department said –“In coming days, In Karnataka, 30 zilas- more than 30 will be benefitted. From tomorrow, nodal officers will be giving loans. A huge number of 53,000 beneficiaries in total and there would be 5,000 in the first round and it would be called the Mahalakshmi scheme. The name has a reason and that being because you’re beginning with Lakshmi. Moving forward, the poor can be blessed by the goddess and then attain loans and move forward. The government works toward the farmers, towards the poor. 27 lakhs has been given out to farmers. No other state has done this. From the 1st of December, the Banking system and Credit system for farmers would take place from village to village… Now, it is only present in the metropolitan areas and the Zila. After this, we’ll go to the taluk level.”
Manjunath Reddy, a farmer from Chikkaballapur who sells his onion produce to APMC traders and vendors said – “So many farmers are affected by this loss that we are facing. The government doesn’t see the number of farmers who are committing suicide as well because of these losses and the schemes not working for them. The expenditure done in producing a good section of crops is higher than the revenue earned from selling them.”
The Badavara Bandhu scheme was announced by the Karnataka government in August and was launched today. The aim of the scheme is to provide money to vendors who fall under the poverty line in the urban areas of Bengaluru. Allowing loans up to a maximum of 10,000 Rupees without any interest, these vendors wouldn’t have to take a day to day loans from money lenders who charge them interest.
