The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Finalise beneficiaries’ list before June 30, States told

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Monday, Jun 16, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Finalise beneficiaries’ list before June 30, States told

Special Correspondent

Loan waiver being executed with Rs. 71,650 cr: Minister

Chidambaram touring the State to review whether banks will meet the deadline
He is happy with progress made by rural and commercial banks in preparing the list

SALEM: Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram has urged the States to finalise beneficiaries for the Debt Waiver and Debt Relief Scheme on or before June 30.

The Minister who reviewed the performance of the Pallavan Grama Bank here on Saturday, told the media persons that he had undertaken an exhaustive tour of the State exclusively to review whether the banks, both nationalised and rural ones, would meet the deadline.

Expressing satisfaction over the progress made by commercial and rural banks in preparing the beneficiaries’ list, Mr. Chidambaram said, many banks would finalise their lists mostly by June 20 and all would release the same before June 30.

He said he had not reviewed the progress made by Primary Agriculture Cooperative Banks and other credit societies which are falling under the purview of State governments.

As the scheme was being executed with a staggering amount of Rs. 71,650 crore to benefit 4.30 crore farmers, Mr. Chidambaram asked the Ministers and officials of Cooperative Department in Tamil Nadu and in other States to take up the responsibility of preparing, cross-checking and reviewing the lists. Once completed, the lists would be displayed in respective banks.

He said the loan waiver scheme was the most important and ambitious one that needed to be highlighted in the country.

“If you are ready to listen, I will talk about this. Otherwise I will say nothing,” he said when he was asked about rising inflation.

On the Left parties’ allegation that banks were turning down the requests of students for educational loans, the Minister said the government had so far sanctioned Rs. 16000 crore to 12.51 lakh students which no country would ever have disbursed.

“Communists protests and their accusations are not a surprise to me.” If any specific case of refusal or negligence on the part of any bank was brought to his notice, he would initiate action. When the issue of Participatory Notes, raised by the AIADMK leader Jayalalithaa, was brought to his notice, Mr. Chidambaram said he neither had any knowledge about who raised the issue nor had anything to say on it.

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