Loan waiver to benefit two crore farmers: UP minister

Farmers plant saplings in their paddy field on the outskirts of Jammu July 6, 2009. India will boost spending on irrigation and roll out more jobs and loans for farmers to spur the rural economy and lift farm sector growth to 4 percent, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said on Monday. REUTERS/Mukesh Gupta (INDIAN-ADMINISTERED KASHMIR POLITICS BUSINESS AGRICULTURE) - RTR25D8S

Uttar Pradesh government would soon come out with a concrete decision on the issue of farm loan waiver which would benefit two crore small and marginal farmers, Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Shahi said here.

"The state government is seriously working on this front and a concrete decision would be taken soon. We are working to evolve the best possible solution," the Minister told PTI while replying to a query on loan waiver.

Farm loan waiver was one of the key promises of BJP which swept to power with two-thirds majority in the recent assembly polls. At present, there are 1.83 crore marginal farmers in UP, while there are 30.6 lakh small farmers. "Overall more than two crore farmers in the state stand to benefit from this," Shahi said in an interview.

The minister also noted that there are many farmers, who do not avail loans from banks. "This factor will also be considered while working out the final modalities," he said.

The agriculture minister said that by April-end, as many as 100 mandis across the state would be linked to e-mandi-- the national online agriculture market.

"This will ensure transparency is sale and purchase of agricultural goods. In addition, the licence fee of traders (registered with the mandi) will be reduced from the existing Rs 1 lakh, so that more traders can be part of the mandi system and benefit," he said.

Shahi said the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana for crop insurance would be effectively implemented in 2017-18 across the state.

"By June 2017, as many as 75 lakh soil health cards will be issued to farmers. Efforts will be made to ensure availability of high-yielding seeds and make the process of subsidy on agricultural equipment transparent," he said.

Shahi said that in 2017-18, the Uttar Pradesh government would take up the task of digging 2,000 ponds in Bundelkhand.