MP farmer receives Rs 13 waiver on Rs 20,000 farm loan; govt asks him to inquire at the bank

A farmer channels water to irrigate his wheat field on the outskirts of Ahmedabad, India, December 15, 2015. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi will recalibrate budget priorities in 2016 to focus on social initiatives, such as the country's first major crop insurance scheme, while capping previously prioritised infrastructure spending, officials say. Modi splurged on roads and railways this year in a strategy to spur economic growth. But it came partly at the expense of federal programmes for farmers and the poor, suffering through back-to-back drought years. Picture taken December 15, 2015. REUTERS/Amit Dave - GF10000266582

A farmer in Madhya Pradesh has received a loan waiver of Rs 13 against his debt of Rs 20,000 from the state government, which had promised to waive off loans up to Rs 2 lakh.

Riding the farm loan waiver wave across India, the Congress emerged victorious, defeating the Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government.

In keeping with his poll promise, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath signed the debt waiver file as soon as he assumed office in December 2018.

However, several reports started to pour in, where farmers were provided loan waivers of just Rs 10, Rs 20 and Rs 50.

Niphania Baijnath, a farmer who lives in Malwa, said his name was included in the list of debt waivers, but just Rs 13 was waived off from his loan of Rs 20,000. "My loan of Rs 20,000 must be waived off as the government is waiving off loans up to Rs 2 lakh. Officials say they can do nothing," Baijnath told ANI.

MP:A farmer of Agar Malwa's Nipania Baijnath alleges his name was included in list of farm loan waiver,stating only Rs 13 waived off from loan of Rs 20000.Says,"My loan of Rs 20000 must be waived off as govt is waiving off loans up to Rs 2 Lakh.Officials say can do nothing.(21.1) pic.twitter.com/dtn2QkrW2J

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— ANI (@ANI) January 24, 2019

Farmers from Khargone and Chief Minister Kamal Nath's Chhindwara constituency found their names against amounts as low as Rs 13 or Rs 232, according to an NDTV report. Hameed Khan, a farmer, said he availed a loan of Rs 10,000, but the amount waiver was only Rs 232.

In some cases, farmers said the names of people who have not taken loans are in the list of beneficiaries.

Responding to such reports, State Home Minister Bala Bachchan asked farmers to inquire about it from bank officials. He assured farmers that the government will "waive off loans up to Rs 2 lakh of farmers who are eligible and took loan within the specified time frame."

Bala Bachchan, #MadhyaPradesh Home Min, on reports of some farmers got loan waiver of less than Rs 100: Whosoever faces this problem should inquire about it from bank officials.We'll waive off loans up to Rs2 lakhs of farmers who are eligible&took loan within specified time frame pic.twitter.com/KJZYSRrAuq

— ANI (@ANI) January 24, 2019

Taking a dig at the ruling Congress government over the farm loan waiver mess, Chouhan termed it as a 'cruel joke', The Financial Express reported. He alleged that while checking the list of beneficiaries, he came to know that half of the list was in English, a language most farmers will not be able to understand.