Kamal Nath, Baghel Announce Farm Loan Waivers After Taking Oath

Throughout campaigning, Congress president Rahul Gandhi had reiterated the farm loan waiver promise repeatedly.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath. 

(Photo: PTI)

Hours after taking oath of office on Monday, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath cleared the proposal of waiving farm loans up to Rs 2 lakh as promised by Congress President Rahul Gandhi ahead of assembly polls.

Echoing similar claims made by his Madhya Pradesh counterpart, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel at a rally announced that his government will waive short-term agricultural loans of farmers, fulfilling a promise made by the Congress ahead of the just concluded state assembly polls.

After Nath signed the relevant file, Rajesh Rajora, Principal Secretary, Farmers’ Welfare and Agriculture Development Department, issued an order in this regard.

The order stated:

“Madhya Pradesh government has taken a decision to write off short-term crop loan of eligible farmers up to the limit of Rs two lakh, as on 31 March 2018, from nationalised and cooperative banks.”

Addressing a public rally on 7 June at Pipliya Mandi in Mandsaur district, Gandhi had announced his party would waive farm loans within 10 days of coming to power in the state.

The Congress president had reiterated the farm loan waiver promise repeatedly during the campaigning.

Soon after Nath signed the file, Gandhi tweeted, “CM, Madhya Pradesh, waives farm loans. 1 done. 2 to go.”

Addressing the media, after signing on farm loan waivers, Kamal Nath said that the government is committed towards working for the people and that they have already initiated the process for writing off farm loans.

Nath also emphasised on creating employment opportunities for the youth of the state and said, “70 percent of employment generation should be local.”

Commenting on the issue of 1984 anti-Sikh riots, Kamal Nath said that the issue was being raked up despite “no case, FIR or charge sheet” against him.

Chhattisgarh Govt to Waive Short-Term Agri Loans: CM

Baghel made a similar announcement.

Short-term agriculture loans to the tune of over Rs 6,100 crore of over 16.65 lakh farmers drawn from cooperative banks and Chhattisgarh Gramin Banks, as on 30 November, 2018 will be completely waived, Baghel claimed.

“Congress President Rahul Gandhi had announced that farm loans will be waived within 10 days and that Minimum Support Price (MSP) for maize will be increased to Rs 2500 from Rs 1700 per quintal. These two decisions have been taken today.”

Bhupesh Baghel, Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh

The Congress won 114 Assembly seats and secured the support of seven more MLAs – SP (1) and BSP (2) and four independents – to cross the majority mark of 116 in the 230- member Assembly. The Congress won a two-thirds majority in Chhattisgarh, bagging 68 seats out of the 90 Assembly seats.

Nath was sworn in as the 18th chief minister of Madhya Pradesh this afternoon.

(With inputs from PTI.)