A 55-year-old farmer in Madhya Pradesh was shocked when he got a loan waiver of just Rs 13 instead of Rs 23,815 under a scheme announced by the Congress government in the state.
This happened to Shivlal Kataria, a resident of Nipania Baijnath village in Agar Malwa district. “The list (of beneficiaries) is with the panchayat, which I saw the other day. It mentions that just Rs 13 of mine (debt), instead of Rs 23,815 loan, has been waived," Kataria said. "Undoubtedly, the scheme is a boon. Other farmers of my village are reaping its benefit. I have taken up the matter with the authorities and I am hopeful to get the waiver for the loan I took some 10 months ago," he told PTI.
Being a poor farmer, he and his family make their ends meet by growing soybeans on his two-acre land.
Kamal Nath government announced the loan waiver in MP on December 18, soon after taking charge. The process of submitting applications to claim loan waiver started on January 15 and will end on February 5. The written-off amounts shall be credited in the bank accounts of eligible cultivators from February 22
Around 55 lakh farmers in MP are expected to benefit from the loan waiver which shall cost the state Rs 50,000 crore.
