BJP opposes SBI's 'anti-farmer move'

BJP president Rajnath singh today came down hard on the State Bank of India (SBI) decision to put on hold financing agricultural implements, saying it once again "exposed" the "anti-farmer face" of the Congres-led UPA government and demanded its immediate roll back.

"The Congress-led UPA Government's anti-poor and anti-farmer face has once again come to the fore. This decision will have an adverse impact on agriculture," Singh said.

He said that on the one hand the government has not implemented the much-touted debt waiver package announced in the Budget and on the other the State Bank of India (SBI) has now said it will not finance purchase of agricultural implements.

"This anti-farmer decision should be immediately withdrawn," he said noting that if the government was serious about improving the agricultural sector, it should provide more loans to farmers at lower interest rates.

SBI has put on hold financing new tractor and farm mechanisation activities, including power tiller and combine harvester, in view of the very high overdues in this sub-segment of agricultural advances.

On his party's victory in the Delhi Cantonment Board elections, he said the win was a "good omen" ahead of the Karnataka Assembly election results. "We are confident of getting a comfortable majority in Karnataka," he added.

He also expressed confidence of BJP winning the coming Assembly elections in Delhi and the next Lok Sabha elections.