50 lakh farmers to benefit from loan waiver in maharashtra

Pune, Mar 6 (UNI) Around Rs 13,000 crore of the todal Rs 60,000 crore loan waiver, announced by the Union finance minister in the budget for 2008-2009 might be allocated to Maharashtra to benefit approximately 50 lakh farmers with holdings less than 2 acres, State Cooperation Minister Patangrao Kadam said here today.

Talking to reporters, the Minister said, ''the process of evaluation is on and presently the figures are 'tentative' but a clearer picture would emerge within eight days''.

We are expecting that around Rs 13,000 crore will come to the State. However, we have some recommendations to make before the State government for support. We want that the ambit of the beneficiaries be extended to farmers with 15 acres of land or six hectares of land, he said.

''The loans in the cooperative sector amounted to Rs 12,084 crore of which around Rs 7000 crore were agricultural loans and the remaining allied loans for poultry, tractors and lift irrigation. The amount would go to around 50 lakh farmers in the State approximately,'' he informed.

The process for evaluation of loans was tedious as many farmers have two accounts and therefore the figures might turn out to be 70 lakh famers besides there might be up to 120 lakh holdings as per the accepted 7/12 land records, the Minister said, adding that evaluation of loans till March 31 2007 in all district banks, credit societies, financial institutions, Urban Bank, Rajya Sahakari Bank was on.

To a query about the Vaidyanathan Committee Report , Mr Kadam said Rs 288 crore had been sanctioned by the Central government to NABARD to clear dues of 6000 credit societies.

Around 50 per cent recovery had already been made by the credit societies till March 31, 2004, he added.

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