Raipur | Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel told the State Assembly on Thursday that his government would waive off loans of all the farmers, in accordance with the promise it had made to the peasants. Cooperative banks are directly under government control and the loans in these banks are waived off immediately, whereas the process of loan waiver in rural and nationalised banks takes time, Mr Baghel said, while intervening into the replies of Departmental Minister Premsai Singh Tekam, on the Call Attention notice of MLAs – Brijmohan Agrawal, Ajay Chandrakar (BJP) and Ajit Jogi (Janta Congress), over the farm loan waiver.
He said that steps were also taken for waiving off loans of farmers, who were declared defaulters. Talks were currently underway in different banks, he said, adding that it would take some time. All such cases would be sorted out through one-time settlement, he said, adding that he respects the Opposition and has full faith in democracy.
Earlier, Mr Agrawal, in his supplementary questions, alleged that a farmer in Jashpur district Mohan Ram Nirala committed suicide, after he came to know that his loan was not waived off. Even government itself has admitted that loan of the farmer was waived off, after he committed suicide, the MLA pointed out.
BJP MLA Ajay Chandrakar said the ryots were unable to obtain loans, as the amount of interest was not being deposited. Former Chief Minister Ajit Jogi said that farmers believed Congress and its national president, when they announced to waive off all agricultural loans, including the mid-term and long-term ones.
Emphasising that it would entail Rs 40,000 crore, he asked whether these loans too would be waived off or not. Dr Tekam said that promise was made to waive off the short-term agricultural loan, which has been fulfilled.
