Nagpur: Kishor Tiwari, head of Maharashtra’s task force on farmers’ distress, has urged the government to relax stringent conditions on the farm loan waiver. Mr. Tiwari lashed out at ‘hostile’ bureaucrats for the latest GR on the loan waiver, which he claimed, is likely to keep maximum needy and distressed farmers out of the net.
“The government should not put conditions such as immediate payment of debt over ₹1.5 lakh to avail of the waiver. It should instead leave it to banks, as the government’s role is restricted up to (payment of) an amount of ₹1.5 lakh,” Mr. Tiwari said in a statement on Thursday.
He also claimed that the present definition of family in the GR is causing injustice to some couples who are into farming. “There should not be any distinction between honest farmers and dishonest farmers. The RBI should make it compulsory for all PSU banks to give fresh crop loans to those who have been given the loan waiver. The GR is also silent on the loans given to farmers by microfinance companies and self-help groups. These debts need to be addressed.”
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