Minister for Agriculture P. Pulla Rao on Monday clarified that farmers cultivating horticultural crops such as chilli, turmeric and yam would be covered under the loan waiver scheme.
The Minister said that though chilli, turmeric came under horticultural crops, farmers were extended credit by banks on the lines of other agricultural crops. The move would help 2.6 lakh chilli farmers in the State. The Minister also said that in the first phase of loan waiver, loans to the tune of Rs.50,000 would be credited to the bank accounts of farmers each . “This alone would cost the State government Rs.15,000 crore and the resource mobilisation committee is looking into various options to raise funds,’’ Mr. Pulla Rao said.
The loan waiver would be implemented after the banks give the final enumeration lists on September 26. Even then, the government has the software to verify the eligibility of farmers.
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“Farmers can submit any one of the identity proofs during verification,’’ he said.