Chikkamagaluru: Union minister for steel and heavy industries HD Kumaraswamy on Monday promised to make prompt efforts to protect coffee planters from the Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest (SARFAESI) Act.Kumaraswamy was addressing the gathering during the valedictory ceremony of the centenary celebration of the Central Coffee Research Institute (CCRI) in Balehonnur. Kumaraswamy, who was unaware of the Act, said he had no idea about the effect of the law on the coffee planters. “I will make all the efforts to exempt coffee plantations from the Act,” he said, and also urged the leaders to bring a delegation to set right the issue.The banks’ recovery proceedings against defaulting coffee growers under the SARFAESI Act were called a commercial decision. In the Lok Sabha, minister of state for finance Pankaj Chaudhary said that the govt will not interfere in the process of recovery. Thus, the planters are in fear of losing their properties. Thousands of planters borrowed loans from banks, and nearly 800 estates were attached under the Act.Kumaraswamy said the coffee industry and the planters have been contributing towards the nation’s economy, and the govt, both Union as well as state govt, need to give them more support. “While big industries were getting good benefits, coffee planters were getting nothing,” he said, and assuring planters of giving good news soon. He also assured that he was working to prevent human-animal conflicts and other issues.Earlier, Sringeri MLA and Coffee Board of India chairman MJ Dinesh urged Kumaraswamy to take immediate measures to protect the planters from auctioning the estates. Rajegowda said that under the SARFAESI Act, many estates were auctioned, and the planters were living in fear. “We are not looters or land grabbers. The planters will definitely repay loans if they get good returns,” he said.He also said the Forest Act is very stringent, and no planters were able to survive. There must be an amendment to the law, Dinesh said. However, Kumaraswamy said the forest department has been harassing the farmers, and the govt alone cannot bring change to the law. The cabinet, court, and govt should take measures, he said. Kumaraswamy urged the planters to be patient for the next two years and wait to solve every issue.Dinesh said a person from Dubai managed to purchase a coffee estate as a bank auctioned it under the SARFAESI Act. The planters were under severe pressure, and it needs to be addressed, he said. MLA HK Suresh, former MLA HM Vishwanath, Coffee Board of India secretary M Kurma Rao, CCRI director Senthil Kumar, and others were present. BOXHDK criticises guarantee schemesChikkamagaluru: Union minister for steel and heavy industries HD Kumaraswamy on Monday ridiculed the state govt’s guarantee schemes. At the CCRI celebration at Balehonnur here, he said, “Rs 2,000 will not help people, and we need development. I planned five programmes which would make people lead a dignified life”.Kumaraswamy said he was an accidental chief minister. “But I introduced pro-people programmes and waived off loans twice when I was the CM,” he said. “Wait for two more years, and I will set right farmers’ problems like the Forest Act issue among others,” he said, adding I never had greed for power and never visited temples seeking power.
