Congress MLA Shivanand Patil.
Credit: X/@iShivanandpatil
Basavana Bagewadi Congress MLA and Karnataka Minister for Agriculture Marketing and Sugar Shivanand Patil has stirred a controversy for his remarks on farmers.
Addressing a gathering at a silver jubilee celebration of a cooperative society in Athani taluk, Belagavi district, the minister said, “Farmers in the state wish for repeated droughts so that their loans get waived. They get Krishna river water for free, power is also free. Successive chief ministers have given free seeds and fertilisers. The farmers will only wish for repeated droughts because their loans will be waived.”
The above comment has landed the minister in trouble with the opposition BJP, the JD(S) and the farmer bodies demanding his resignation. The video clip of his statement has gone viral on social media platforms and has drawn strong flak.
The minister is not new to such controversies. Previously in September, he said, “Farmer suicides had risen after the state government increased compensation for the families of the deceased.”
In another controversy that caused a stir, the Congress MLA was seen sitting on a sofa at a private event with currency notes strewn all around.
A look at his educational qualification and net worth
Shivanand Patil, the two-time MLA from Basavana Bagewadi constituency has a diploma in Pharmacy from KLEs J N Medical College, Belgaum.
According to his affidavit filed with the Election Commission in 2018, Shivanand Patil’s total assets stand at approximately Rs 35 crores and has liabilities worth approximately Rs 3 crores.
His profession according to the data submitted to EC is listed as ‘Medical Business and Agriculture’ and his sources of income are also listed as the same.
The affidavit states that Patil has movable assets worth Rs 11 crores and immovable assets worth Rs 23 crores. His liabilities include two loans from Canara Bank of approx Rs 1.8 crores and other personal loans.
The MLA and his spouse have agricultural land and non-agricultural land worth approximately Rs 2 crores each. He owns 3 commercial buildings combined approximately valued at Rs 6 crores. He and his spouse combined own Rs 53 lakhs worth of jewellery.
The Congress leader also owns a Mercedes Benz Car worth Rs 2 crores, and two tractors along with a tvs scooter.
According to the affidavit, there are no criminal cases registered against Shivanand Patil.
(With DHNS inputs and info from Myneta)