Loan Waiver Reality? Expecting Rs 24,000 Madhya Pradesh Farmer Gets Rs 13 Waived

Shivlal Kataria, a farmer from Madhya Pradesh, found Rs 13 marked against his name, instead of around Rs 24,000, on the beneficiaries’ list for the farm loan waiver issued by the authorities on Wednesday (23 January), reports Business Standard.

"The state government had promised to waive loans up to Rs 2 lakh. Forms were filled and I was expecting a complete waiver of my loan amount of Rs 23,815. But the list that has come to the panchayat says only Rs 13 have been waived," Kataria was quoted in the report as saying.

Kataria is native of Nipania Baijnath village in Agar Malwa district of Madhya Pradesh. He was reportedly among the excited lot when the Congress, which made the loan waiver promise before the assembly polls, came to power, thinking that it would provide them relief.

“There are major irregularities in the loan waiver scheme. I have reported the matter to the authorities," he said. The Congress government, however, blamed the flaw on the irregularities at the loan disbursal stage.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath had announced farm loan waiver as per the election promise. The process of application began on 15 January. The scheme was reportedly aimed to benefit 55 lakh farmers and would entail an expenditure of Rs 50,000 crore.