Pralhad Joshi: Siddaramaiah’s NABARD Claims Are an Attempt to Hide State Failures

New Delhi, 21st November: Karnataka Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah, has been continuously attempting to deflect the failures and shortcomings of his government over the past one and a half years by making baseless accusations against the central government on various issues. As part of his latest attempt, he met with the Union Finance Minister in New Delhi today to address the alleged injustice faced by Karnataka in agricultural loans provided through cooperative societies by NABARD.

According to Union Minister for Food and Consumer Affairs, Pralhad Joshi, Siddaramaiah has accused NABARD of providing lesser loans to Karnataka this year. While Karnataka received ₹5,600 crore in loans from NABARD last year, the amount has reportedly been reduced to ₹2,340 crore, a 58% reduction. However, Minister Joshi clarified during a press conference in New Delhi that there has been no injustice to Karnataka, nor any reduction in agricultural loans.

Joshi explained that, as per the established system, all nationalized banks, scheduled banks, and other private banks in the country are required to allocate 40% of their loans to the agricultural sector. If any bank fails to meet this target, the shortfall is recovered and transferred to NABARD. NABARD then disburses this amount to farmers through cooperative societies in various states.

While Siddaramaiah is aware of this system, Joshi suggested that the Chief Minister is deliberately misinforming the public to cover up his government’s corruption, failures, and other irregularities. He added that banks in Karnataka have been providing agricultural loans effectively, and as a result, the target set by NABARD has naturally decreased.

Minister Joshi also highlighted the significant budget allocated to Karnataka’s farmers, pointing out that despite a budget of ₹3.78 lakh crore for the current year, the state government has suspended the ₹4,000 financial assistance under the Krishi Samman Yojana. Furthermore, issues such as delays in social security pensions, non-payment of old-age benefits, and misuse of SC/ST funds were raised as examples of the state government’s failures.

In addition, Joshi refuted allegations about the reduction of the BPL (Below Poverty Line) card holders in the state, clarifying that the central government’s guidelines are being followed. He emphasized that the BJP has always worked for the welfare of the poor and that any attempts to manipulate BPL card distribution for political gain should be avoided.

Regarding the credit disbursed by NABARD, Joshi stated that Karnataka’s ground-level credit in the 2023-24 period was ₹51,879 crore, while it increased to ₹2,07,615 crore in 2024-25, demonstrating significant growth.

Joshi accused the Chief Minister of using these issues to divert the public’s attention from the failures of his government and urged him to focus on addressing the state’s actual challenges instead of making baseless allegations against the central government.