G S Asgotra
Early Times Report
JAMMU, Dec 20: While presenting its maiden budget, the PDP-BJP coalition government had announced waiving off 50 percent loan on Kissan Credit Card (KCC) to poor farmers. Two years later, as the government is preparing its third budget, the promise has proved a hoax and merely rhetoric.
During the maiden budget of the coalition government Finance Minister Haseeb A. Drabu had announced a scheme and earmarked Rs 150 cr for waiving off the loan. "Ironically, two successive budgets have gone but the announcement has not been put in practice," said sources.
It is so unfortunate for the marginalized and vulnerable farmers of the state who have been under debt due to the failure of four consecutive crops since September 2014, the incumbent government especially the BJP which claims champions of farmer issues has miserably failed to execute the announcements after assuming power in the state.
Expressing their ordeal a farmer of Bishnah said that since September 2014 they have lost four consecutive crops due to incessant rains and flash flood and even by hails storming but the coalition government reiterated its commitment time and again, but fails to implement the scheme in letter and spirit.
"As the loan was not waived off in time, the farmer community is getting under financial distress with each passing day", said Mohan Singh.
A source in the Agriculture Department said the government had sought list of debtors who have an outstanding balance of less than rupees one lakh from the different banks so that their debt would be waived off. "Unfortunately, most of the banks except Jammu and Kashmir Bank responded positively in this regards so far", he added.
The source further said the purpose of waiving off loan on KCC had been defeated.
"If the government fails to waive off loan in coming days, the farmers will be compelled to borrow money from money lenders on high interest rates" said the source.
Another farmer, Hukkam Chand said that when government had made announcement just after assuming power in the state, it brought a ray of hope to the farmers who were under debt for many years.
But owing to lackadaisical approach of the bureaucracy, the scheme is still in oblivion. |
