Centre to form Expert Group to examine agricultural indebtedness

Nagpur, Jul 1 (UNI) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced today that the Centre would shortly form an Expert Group to examine the problem of agricultural indebtedness in the country and to suggest relief measures.

Addressing a news conference here on the second day of his two-day visit to Vidarbha, Dr. Singh said the Expert Group would be formed in the next few days to examine the issue in its totality and suggest measures to provide relief to farmers across the country.

The Expert Group would submit its recommendations in the next three months after consulting the state governments, Dr Singh said.

Based on the recommendations, the Centre would initiate measures to ensure that the debt problem of the farming community was alleviated, he said.

Dr Singh said agricultural indebtedness had become a national problem and needed to be addressed on a war footing. This would ensure that farmers could cultivate their land without falling into the clutches of money lenders, he asserted.

UNI XR NNG ADG RP HT1627