K Shiva Kumar By

Express News Service

MYSURU: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah hinted at waiving farm loans on Wednesday. “I am closely watching the developments. I will wait and watch and take a final call,” he said referring to the vociferous demand from opposition parties to waive farm loans.

Launching development works worth `502 crore in Periyapatna assembly constituency, he blamed the union government for what he called “its dual policy” on farm loan waiver. “The Union Agriculture Minister and the RBI (Reserve Bank of India) strongly opposed loan waiver, but allocated funds to Uttar Pradesh government”, he claimed.

Siddaramaiah, who has been reluctant to waive loans, appears to have have changed his mind, eyeing the 2018 assembly elections in the light of the BJP and the JD(S) announcing that they would waive farm loans if elected to power.