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Karnataka Today newsletter: Siddaramaiah hits out at Centre for reducing Nabard funding to State, and more

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah hit out at the Centre for reducing the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) funding by 58%, from ₹5,600 crore in 2023-24 to ₹2,340 crore in 2024-25 to the State, which would adversely impact the borrowings of farmers.

The Chief Minister said he had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman requesting them not to do injustice to farmers by reducing NABARD funds to Karnataka.

The NABARD has been granting loans to State-run cooperatives at 4% interest, and the cooperatives lend the money to farmers. The State Government has been giving farmers interest-free loans up to ₹5 lakh, he said.

Two Congress MLAs from Belagavi have denied receiving monetary offers from the BJP to defect. Kittur MLA Babasaheb Patil admitted that he got an offer when the Congress was forming the government in Karnataka. But it was based on his cordial relationship with friends in the BJP and that he was not offered any money, he said. Raju (Bharamagouda Alagouda) Kage, Kagwad MLA also denied receiving any offer, monetary or otherwise, at any time whatsoever.

Meanwhile Home Minister Dr. G. Parameshwara backed Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s claim of ₹50 crore offer to 50 Congress MLAs by the BJP to topple the government in Karnataka. Accusing the BJP of engaging in ‘Operation Lotus’, the Minister described the saffron party as an ‘expert’ in ‘poaching’ MLAs and toppling governments.

Mangaluru City police have arrested the owner and manager of Vazco Beach Resort, near Ullal, on the charge of negligence resulting in the drowning of three students in the swimming pool of the resort on November 17. Police Commissioner Anupam Agrawal informed that Manohar V. Puthran and Bharath have been booked under Section 106 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

N. Keerthana (21), M.D. Nishitha (21), and S. Parvathi (20), all from Mysuru, had checked in at the resort on November 16. The CCTV showed the three students entering the water the next morning. One girl is seen panicking following breathlessness and tries to get hold of a lifebuoy. Another girl tries to save her friend, and the third tries to save the two. But all three drown in the pool.