CHANDIGARH: Amid protests by farmers at Punjab-Haryana borders over MSP and other agriculture-related issues, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced a waiver of interest and penalty on certain crop loans on Friday.
“I announce to waive interest and penalty on the crop loan, in case the loan was availed till September 30, 2023, the principal amount is paid by May 31, 2024, and the farmer is registered with MFMB (Meri Fasal Mera Byora),” he said.
The chief minister made the announcement while presenting the Rs 1.89-lakh-crore budget for 2024-25. The State will go for Assembly elections this year as the alliance government of BJP and Jannayak Janta Party (JJU) will complete the five-year term.
In an apparent reference to ongoing farmers’ agitation, Khattar asserted that his government has taken several steps for the welfare of the farmers besides providing a Minimum Support Price (MSP) for 14 crops.
He said an amount of Rs 7,570.77 crore has been allocated for agriculture and allied sectors and cooperation for FY 2024-25 which is an increase of 38.9 per cent over the revised estimates of Rs 5,449.26 crore of the current year.
The chief minister said that interest and penalties would be waived on crop loans taken by farmers from Primary Agriculture Credit Societies (PACS).
Khattar said agricultural production had increased at the rate of 8.1 per cent in 2023-24, one of the country’s highest. “The government has deposited a payment of Rs 29,876 crore directly into the accounts of farmers in kharif and rabi season, 2023,” he said.
On stubble burning, Khattar said, “Under the scheme to prevent stubble burning and reduce pollution, 1.56 lakh farmers registered for the management of 14 lakh acres, and an incentive amount of Rs 139 crore was provided to the farmers during the year 2023-24. In 2023-24, stubble burning cases also declined by 67 per cent to 2,303 over the previous two years, while 6,987 were recorded in 2021-22.”
As the chief minister announced, Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda asked him, “You talk of farmers, then why you slap NSA (National Security Act) on peaceful farmers. Farmers are protesting on Haryana’s borders”.
In response, Khattar said the budget is being taken up and he is touching upon steps for farmers’ welfare. “As much farmers are dear to you, they are to us also”.
“I have ploughed the field. I am a farmer. I am a son of a farmer I know farmers’ pain. When I have announced a scheme favouring farmers, either you cannot digest it or not liking it,” Khattar said.
Reacting to the CM’s announcement, Hooda later told reporters: “The government should have announced loan waiver straightaway as farmers are under heavy debt...there is nothing much in the budget”.
‘Farmers get MSP for 14 crops in the state’
In an apparent reference to ongoing farmers’ agitation Punjab-Haryana borders, Chief Minister Manohar Lak Khattar asserted that his government has taken several steps for the welfare of the farmers besides providing a Minimum Support Price (MSP) for 14 crops. Haryana, having sizable population of farmers, will go for Assembly elections this year as the alliance government of BJP and Jannayak Janta Party (JJU) will complete the five-year term.