- Hemant Soren government had proposed ₹2,000 crore in 2020-21 budget for the waiver
- Soren had promised to waive farm loans of up to ₹2 lakh last year before elections
- Only farmers who have taken loan before March 31, 2020 and have an Aadhar card to benefit from the waiver
TAD NewsDesk, Jharkhand: On the occasion of completing one year of Chief Ministership, Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren had officially announced the farm loan waiver scheme on December 29, 2020. Initially, the government has decided to waive farm loans up to ₹50,000, expected to benefit nine lakh farmers.
State agriculture minister Badal Patralekh said, “We have formally started the process of farm loan waiver benefit to farmers from Monday. One farmer was given the benefit as token disbursement. Now, we have to ensure that the benefit reaches the last farmer in the state.”
State agriculture director Nisha Oraon Singhmar said, “The department has set a target to disburse at least ₹1,000 crore by the end of March. Since the entire process is almost online, technical glitches partially delayed the launching.”
She said, “We have identified nine lakh farmers under the loan waiver scheme. However, six lakh farmers have seeded their Aadhaar with banks. The process of Aadhaar seeding of rest three lakh farmers has been started.”
Jamtara-based Molindra Besra, Jharkhand’s first farmer to receive the benefit of JMM-led government’s scheme said, “I had taken a loan for mustard and vegetable cultivation around two years back. However, the majority of the crops had got damaged due to drought. The loan had turned a very big burden on me, as I have to feed my family of six.”
“I feel lucky that the government’s loan waiver scheme came at a time when I needed it badly. Now, I have to work hard to repay the rest of the amount to the bank,” he added.
Process to avail the scheme
As per the scheme, only one loan in a family will be waived, regardless of the number of farmers in the family.
“The ration card details will be checked with PDS (public distribution system) data. Once it is found genuine, the farmer will be called for e-KYC. In the third step, eligible farmers will be asked to deposit Re 1. Then, district will issue a fund generate order, which will come to the director for final verification. The director will submit it in a system where every detail is checked through software. When the system finds it okay, the director will ask the nodal bank officer for disbursement,” Singhmar said.
Following is the process to be avail the scheme:
- Firstly, the bank will upload the data of eligible farmers in batches for public view
- The beneficiaries will get an SMS asking them to submit their loan details at nearest Pragya Kendra (common service centre) or to banking correspondents
- On verification of loan details, the farmers need to provide their mobile number and ration card details
- Further, farmers would be charged a service fee of Re 1 to avail the amount
However, the scheme only applies to farmers who have taken loan before March 31, 2020 and can furnish their Aadhar card.
In the current financial year 2020-21, the Soren government had proposed ₹2,000 crore in the budget to fund the waiver. On December 24, 2021, the State cabinet had announced farm loan waiver. Ahead of the 2019 assembly elections, the ruling alliance had promised to waive farm loans up to Rs 2 lakh if they came to power. The coalition government had partially fulfilled the promise made just before the 2019 assembly elections.
Source – Hindustan Times
