Loan waiver scheme for farmers extended to orchardists

Srinagar, Mar 27: The Centre has agreed to extend the loan waiver scheme for farmers across the country to orchardists of Jammu and Kashmir. Minister for Horticulture Muhammad Dilawar Mir said the state government took up the issue of extending the loan waiver scheme to orchardists and traders with the centre immediately after Union Finance minister in his budget proposal announced the scheme for farmers in the Parliament.

He said Union Minister for Water Recourses Prof Saifu-ul-Din Soz and Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad took up the issue with the UPA chairperson and Congress President Mrs Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, Union Minister for Finance and Agriculture for extending the scheme to orchardists of the state.

The central leaders have conceded to extend loan waiver scheme to the orchardists and traders of the state, he announced. He said the coalition government was concerned about the welfare of farmers and fruit growers of the state.

He said that lift irrigation scheme constituted at a whopping sum of Rs 72 crore will bring a wide ranging green revolution in a year and would ensure overall socio-economic transformation of the living standards of the people.

The coalition government announced exemption of toll tax on export of fruit from the state which has provided a benefit of about Rs 70 crore annually to the farmers and fruit growers.

Mr Mir said that Rs 16.50 crore regional water supply scheme Rohama has been sanctioned by the government which will provide potable drinking water to the people of the area.

He announced Rs 1.30 crore for Chack Nowpora water supply scheme which would provide potable water to about 7,000 population of the area.

UNI