Political instability to continue in Karnataka: Kumaraswamy

Bengaluru: Karnataka's Caretaker Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Wednesday said political instability would continue in the southern state even after the next government is formed due to uncertainty over its continuation and longevity.

"I have told all the senior officials to implement the various schemes, programmes and waiver of loans taken by farmers, landless labourers and weaker sections without worrying and paying undue attention on the political crisis and the uncertainty over the next government's survival," Kumaraswamy said, a day after he lost the trust vote and resigned as Chief Minister.

As a farewell gift to the poor, including landless farmers and labourers and weaker sections with less than Rs 1,25,000 per annum family income, he said he had signed an order to waive their loans from money lenders and pawnbrokers under the amended state Debt Relief Act.

"Even in the midst of political crisis and unforeseen developments over the last three weeks across the state, they did not come in the way of implementing the state-run programmes and welfare schemes by the officials concerned," he said.

Thanking President Ram Nath Kovind for signing on July 16 the bill the state legislature had passed in February to amend the Debt Relief Act, Kumaraswamy said a gazette notification was issued on the amended Act on Tuesday for availing the debt relief in the next 90 days.

"I have directed the officials to issue an advertisement on the amended Debt Relief Act in the local language (Kannada) on Thursday for the benefit of those who took loans or mortgaged their property to money-lenders and pawnbrokers despite high interest rates on the loans."

Assistant Commissioners in all 30 districts across the state will be the nodal officers to make one-time settlement of the loans or assets pledged by the poor with money-lenders and pawnbrokers, who have been exploiting them over the decades.