The Opposition and the ruling BJP today locked horns in the Rajasthan Assembly over the crop loan waiver announced by the Vasundhara Raje-government in its Budget 2018-19.
As the House took up a question raised by Congress legislator Nand Kishore Maharia on crop loan waiver and procuring farmers' produce at the minimum support price, the entire opposition cornered the government on its intent on crop loan waivers.
Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje had in her budget announced an one-time crop loan waiver of up to Rs 50,000 taken by small and marginalised farmers, and land revenue exemption. The waiver was for marginal farmers in the overdue and outstanding category of short loans provided by cooperative banks. This would cost the state exchequer nearly Rs 8,000 crore.
Raje had announced the constitution of a farmers' debt relief commission as a permanent institution. Farmers would be able to get relief on merit basis after presenting their case before the commission, she had said.
In a supplementary question during the Question Hour, Maharia demanded the minutes of the meeting of the commission. He said out of the Rs 8,000 crore, Rs 3,000 crore comprised penalty, interest, etc., and Rs 5,000 was for crop loan waiver.
The government had put riders and waived loans taken from cooperative banks by the small and marginalised farmers only, he said, and asked if the government intended to announce a complete loan waiver.
State Cooperative Minister Ajay Singh Kilak said it was a first in the history of the state that a waiver of crop loans was announced. One-time crop loan waiver of up to Rs 50,000 would benefit 20 lakh farmers, he said.
Kilak said the government had constituted a permanent institution to categorise farmers, decide on relief type, limit and process, and include farmers, who had taken loans from non-cooperative banks and other banks.
When Kilak said loans were never waived except under the BJP regime, opposition Chief Whip Govind Singh Dotasara mentioned that the UPA government had announced a Rs 72,000 crore loan waiver.
Responding to Dotasara, State Parliamentary Affairs Minister Rajendra Rathore said Rajasthan had received only Rs 186 crore out of the Rs 72,000 crore, but the BJP government waived-off debts worth Rs 8,000 crore.
Amid the uproar, Speaker Kailash Meghwal asked the legislators to maintain decorum of the House.
It is to be noted that farmers are likely to lodge a protest outside the Rajasthan Assembly on February 22.
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