Loan Waiver Scheme is Benefiting Lakhs of Farmers in This State

The loan waiver plan announced by the Department of Agriculture, Government of Jharkhand, in an attempt to inject more liquidity among farmers in the state, is proving to be a benefit for the farmers of the state. So far, 3,83,102 farmers have profited from it, and a loan of Rs 1529.01 crore has been forgiven.

In the run-up to the 2019 State Assembly elections, the coalition government led by Chief Minister Hemant Soren launched a loan forgiveness plan.

The department is comprised of a team directed by Director Agriculture, Nesha Oraon, and under her direction, the team is rapidly giving benefits to farmers even in the most distant parts of the State. It has completed 423 days of the programme by following the target. Every day, the government benefits 906 farmers under the initiative, and a loan of Rs 3.34 crore is forgiven. In the fiscal year 2020-21, 1,22,238 persons benefited from the plan. This fiscal year, a total of 494.96 crores were distributed. The plan helped 2,60,864 farmers in the fiscal year 2021-22. This fiscal year has begun with a payment of Rs. 1034.05 crore.

According to Oraon, the goal of the Jharkhand Agriculture Loan Waiver Scheme is to relieve farmers of the burden of debt associated with the state's short-term agricultural loans.

The initiative intends to increase crop loan holders' creditworthiness, secure loan availability for new crops, prevent rural communities from migrating, and strengthen the agricultural sector, she noted.

Indebtedness, according to the Director, is a source of sorrow and suicide among farmers. "Economic empowerment of farmers is critical for agricultural progress." "A farmer who is economically empowered will have access to agriculture inputs, mechanisation, entrepreneurship, and other opportunities," she noted.

A few months ago, the department developed the Kisan Call Centre to learn about farmers' basic difficulties. The agency is handling issues with the farmers' agricultural loan forgiveness plan through the phone centre.

Oraon stated that Giridih resident Dilip Kumar Bharti requested for farm loan waiver in his name, but his agricultural debt has not been forgiven as of yet. In this regard, he filed a complaint with the Government of Jharkhand's hotline service Grievance Management System (HSGMS).

Its case number is 2707. She went on to say that his problem was fixed when he contacted the District Agriculture Officer-Giridih.

Many other farmers, like Dilip, benefited from the Grievance Management System and had their concerns fixed.