Belgaum : Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa will shortly call a meeting of bankers, to discuss providing crop loans to farmers at an interest rate of 2%, on the lines of State Bank of Mysore (SBM). SBM has introduced a new scheme which charges just 2% interest from farmers on the timely repayment of crop loan of up to Rs 50,000.

He was speaking after inaugurating an upgraded government hospital of Hukkeri, community health centre, blood bank and Nisarg Chikitsa Kendra at Sankeshwar and a newly-constructed community health centres at Ammanagi and Nidasosi on Wednesday, at Nidasosi in Hukkeri taluk.

"I will also write a letter to the Prime Minister, urging him to introduce this scheme nation-wide in favour of farmers," the CM said, adding that the state will sell power to other states in the coming years, as the government has already taken up the steps to generate 14,000 MW power, through MoUs along with industrialists.

Basic facilities like land, water, electricity will be provided in the next two years to industrialists who have signed MoUs with the government during the Global Investors Meet, held recently in Bangalore, CM said.

He said it was unnecessary for the governor to forward the anti-cow slaughter bill to the President, since the Act has been already executed successfully in over 10 states of the country.

Meanwhile, the CM welcomed the Centre's move of filing affidavit in the Supreme Court, on the Karnataka-Maharashtra border dispute, in favour of the state. He also urged Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) leaders not to give out controversial and provocative statements, and disturb the harmony in the border areas.

Yeddyurappa reiterated that the government will hold World Kannada Meet at Belgaum in February. The Suvarna Vidhan Soudha which has been under construction will be made functional from December. The CM also announced Rs 1 crore grant to the Durdundishwar Siddha Sansthan mutt of Nidasosi, for the construction of a community hall.