Jalandhar administration gears up to implement crop loan waiver ›
JALANDHAR : Deputy commissioner (DC) Varinder Kumar Sharma has directed the officers to identify eligible beneficiaries, by evolving a foolproof mechanism, to implement the crop loan waiver scheme for the small and marginal farmers of the state on Monday.
The DC said that , on the basis of recommendations from an expert group, constituted by the state government under the renowned agro expert T Haque, the state government has formulated this scheme, which will cover only institutional crop loans advanced by commercial and cooperative banking institutions.
He said that this scheme will be applicable on small and marginal farmers with land holdings below five acres.
The direct agricultural loan taken under the kisan credit card will be covered under this scheme, he added .
“The crop loan and an investment loan will be counted as two distinct loans and the scheme will apply only on crop loan. In case a farmer has taken loans from two separate lending institutions, the first priority will be given to cooperative institutions, second to public sector banks and third to commercial banks,” the deputy commissioner said.
He said that the amount for eligible debt relief will comprise outstanding liability under the crop loan (principal and interest) as on March 31, 2017, adding that interest outstanding from April 1 till the date of the notification will be additional.
The DC has asked the bankers to prepare separate Aadhaar seeded village wise lists of small and marginal farmers.
He said that both the lists will be cross-checked for avoiding any duplication. The list will be finalised by a team comprising patwaris, block agriculture officer and assistant registrar cooperative societies through the social audit in villages.
Meanwhile, Sharma said that the final compensation will be approved by him in due consultation with the officers. He has asked the officers to complete the entire work regarding it within a month.
He warned that any sort of callousness in this work was totally unwarranted and undesirable. A stern action will be taken against any officer/official for dereliction in duty.
The crop loan and an investment loan will be counted as two distinct loans and the scheme will apply only on crop loan. In case a farmer has taken loans from two separate lending institutions, the first priority will be given to cooperative institutions. VARINDER KUMAR, deputy commissioner