No direct benefit to farmers out of PM's relief package-BJP

Nagpur, July 1 (UNI) Maharashtra BJP president Nitin Gadkari today said the farmers would not get direct benefit of the relief package of Rs 3750-crore, declared by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and the ryots would remain in the clutches of indebtedness.

Reacting to the Prime Minister's announcement of the package for the kin of the farmers, who have committed suicide , Mr Gadkari said it was expected from Mr Singh that he would announce immediate financial assistance of Rs 1,00,000 to be given to the farmers, but there was no mention in the package.

It was also expected that Mr Singh would announce reduction in the existing interest rate on loan from Rs 13 to 14 per cent to six per cent for the farmers, he said pointing out that the in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh they get loan on the interest rate of 8 to 8.50 per cent.

The package was announced only for the six districts and the other five districts of Nagpur, Bhandara, Gondia, Chandrapur and Gadchiroli in Vidarbha, where about 350 farmers have committed suicide, were left, he added.

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