Exercise to identify farm waiver loan beneficiaries begins

Hyderabad: Telangana State Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao is firm on zero misuse of funds in the Rs 1 lakh crop loan waiver scheme, approved by the Cabinet.

Sources in the government said the Chief Minister wants officials to scan each farmer before clearing payment and also ensure that there is no fudging of amounts. In a series of meetings with officials, Mr Rao repeatedly pointed to the huge burden on the exchequer to the tune of Rs 19,000 crore, yet the government is committed to implement the loan waiver scheme at any cost.

He said genuine farmers should get the benefit besides full support from the government in all aspects. If all goes well, it might take a month or two to implement the much touted scheme for farmers, one of the key election promises of the TRS government.

It is learnt that collection of data on farmers, who took loans is on, from various nationalised and cooperative banks. Once the data is compiled district wise, the modalities will be worked out for implementation of the scheme.

The government has appointed an 11-member inter-departmental committee headed by V. Nagi Reddy, principal secretary, finance department, as chairman, to formulate modalities and monitor the effective implementation of the scheme.

According to conservative estimates, about 20 lakh farmers, pattadars across Telangana are expected to benefit from the scheme. Many farmers have leased out the lands, so tenant farmers will not benefit from the scheme.

“Only the land owner, who took a loan from banks in any manner including pledging of gold for cultivation alone, will get benefits up to Rs 1 lakh. Tenants will not get the benefit.

Besides, if someone has taken Rs 10,000 as loan, he will get the benefit of up to Rs 10,000. The maximum loan waiver limit is Rs 1 lakh,” a senior official said.

The government has also written to the Reserve Bank of India to reschedule the loan for a period of five years and a reply is awaited.