Farmers who repaid loans on time to get waiver benefit: Kilak

JAIPUR: KILAK SAID THE GOVT IS SENSITIVE TO THE ISSUES OF FARMERS AND CHIEF MINISTER RAJE HAS TAKEN A BOLD DECISION TO WAIVE LOANS THAT WILL BENEFIT LAKHS OF FARMERS

Cooperatives department minister Ajay Singh Kilak on Friday said that the benefit of crop loan waiver would be extended to those farmers who have repaid their short-term crop loans on time.

Replying to a debate on the issue of farmers raised by the opposition in the house, Kilak said this is the first time that farmers who have repaid loans on time have been included in ambit of loan waiver.

Under the previous Congress government only defaulter farmers had got the benefit of loan waiver, he said.

He said the government is sensitive to the issues of farmers and chief minister Vasundhara Raje has taken a bold decision to waive loans that will benefit lakhs of farmers.

Kilak said farmers who had taken short-term loans from central cooperative banks twothree years back and were in the overdue category till September 30, 2017 their interest and penalties will be waived and the loan will be brought under the outstanding category and they will be given the benefit of loan waiver. He said those farmers whose short-term crop loan is in the category in outstanding till September 30, 2017, they will also get the benefit of loan waiver of Rs 50,000.

Minister said Rajasthan State Farmer Debt Relief commission that was announced in the budget and in this regard a high level inter-departmental committee has been constituted under the chairmanship of home minister Gulab Chand Kataria.

The committee will decide the categories of farmers falling under this commission, limit of relief to be provided, deciding types and procedure and will also decide the conditions if non-cooperative or any other banks are to be included in this commission. He said the first meeting of the committee will be held on February 28.

Kilak gave comparative districtwise details of short term crop loans disbursed to farmers during the previous Congress and present BJP governments. He said the BJP government has disbursed more loans than the Congress government. He said BJP till now has disbursed more than Rs 61500 crore as short term crop loans, which will be taken up to Rs 80,000 crore, whereas the previous Congress government had disbursed less than Rs 25000 crore in its tenure of five years.