Pawar promises ‘something more’ for farmers

Lower interest rate and more benefits from the state government were on offer at the NCP’s rally in Beed

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar and other top leaders of the party, on Saturday, assured farmers who may have been deprived in the Rs6,000 crore loan waiver, announced by the Union government that they likely to get more aide from central and state governments.

In a mammoth farmers’ rally, which was attended by farmers from Beed, Ahmednagar and Solapur district, Pawar and his party leaders showered the farmers with several announcements as if the party was kicking off the election campaign for the ensuing general elections.

Taking serious note of the criticism that the waiver would benefit mostly farmers from Vidarbha and Marathwada, Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar said that the central government would certainly do “something” more for those who have been left out due to the cap of five acre land holding.

However, Pawar did not forget to mention that Maharashtra was the biggest beneficiary from the package and is to receive Rs10,161 crore out of total Rs60,000 crore loan waiver package sanctioned by the government.

Deputy Chief Minister RR Patil, who was also present at the rally, could not make any concrete announcement due to the upcoming budget session. But Patil did stress that government plan to add “something” concrete to the central government’s package.
It may be noted that a large section of the farmers of the state who own non-irrigated land in drought-affected areas and those who have sold their belongings to pay off their agriculture loans will not receive benefit from the scheme.

Presently, such farmers get the agriculture loan at the rate of 6 per cent. Pawar announced that such farmers would be getting loans at lower interest rates.

Pawar also announced that the farmers who have taken agriculture loans from urban co-operative banks would also get the benefit of the central government’s package. Later, talking to the DNA, a senior NCP minister said, “Our party will be raising the issue of state governments contributing ‘something’ to the Central government’s package in the next cabinet meeting. We will also try and ensure that the announcement is made during this session only.”

Replying to a criticism that not many from Maharashtra would get the benefit of the agriculture loan waiver, Pawar said, “This is not true as 81 per cent of Indian farmers have less than five acres of land and the package will definitely covered them. Of the remaining 16 per cent, only one per cent were big farmers and 15 per cent were small farmers, who will also get the benefit of one time settlement.”

k_ganesh@dnaindia.net