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MP’s loan waiver scheme differentiates between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ farmers
Madhya Pradesh government’s farm loan waiver scheme has a component to appreciate farmers who have paid their loans partially or entirely with a samman (respect) certificate.
The Madhya Pradesh government’s farm loan waiver scheme has a component to appreciate farmers who have paid their loans partially or entirely last year with a samman (respect) certificate, officials said on Sunday.
As per the state government’s decision it will waive loans of 2.5 million farmers worth ₹10,000 crore before the announcement of the Lok Sabha polls most likely in the first week of March. Once the elections are declared, the model code kicks in preventing the governments to announcement new schemes and disperse benefits that can influence voters.
According to a government official familiar with the matter, those farmers, who repaid their outstanding loans as on March 31, 2018 full or partially till December 12, 2018 will be honoured with ‘Kisaan samman patra’ but those who didn’t repay their outstanding amount will get loan waiver certificates only.
“Since there was a promise for the loan waiver on the Congress part in the run-up to the state assembly elections held in November last year the farmers stopped repaying loans. Now, it’s a big challenge for the government to convince the farmers to continue repaying loans in future, hence the concept of good and bad farmers in the scheme, though without saying this on record,” said the above quoted government official involved in the loan waiving process.
The government sees the ‘Kisaan samman patra’ as a way to motivate farmers to repay their loans since the scheme is one-time benefit. On the political side, the aim is to ensure that the loan waiver scheme does not anger farmers who have paid their loans on time.
As per the department, the scheme covers about 1.01 million farmers who will be felicitated with ‘Kisaan samman patras’ while the rest would get loan waiver certificates named ‘Rin mukti pramaan patra’.
Principal secretary (agriculture), Rajesh Rajora, said, “There is a provision for Kisaan samman patra and Rin mukti pramaan patra in the scheme and also the criteria as to who will get it. All farmers are respected farmers for us. Programmes are being held at tehsils in a phased manner to give benefit of loan waiver scheme to more than 2.54 million farmers. Everything is going on as per schedule.”
As per the department, the remaining farmers out of about 5.5 million farmers will get the benefit of the scheme after Lok Sabha polls. The total estimated expenditure is about ₹50,000 crore.
