Loan recovery suspended in Tikamgarh: Minister

Bhopal, Feb 23 (UNI) Recovery of loans, land revenue and electricity dues will be suspended in Tikamgarh district, where the crop was damaged due to hailstorm, Energy Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya announced in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly today.

'Recovery was suspended, but no decision taken yet on waiving it'', Mr Vijayvargiya said in reply to a call attention notice moved by Mr Akhand Pratap Singh (BJP) and Mr Brijendra Singh Rathore(Cong).

The Minister announced suspension of electricity bill recovery to assuage Mr Rathore, who resorted to a sit-in in the well of the house, alleging the government was not forthcoming to give relief to the affected farmers. Mr Rathore later ended the dharna, Earlier, Minister of State for Revenue Narayan Singh Kushwaha said crop in 2500 villages spread over 30 districts were damaged due to hailstorm on February 10 and 11. At least 8 people were killed and 39 cattle perished in the calamity, he said, adding the district was facing drought for six years.

Responding to Mr Rathore's contention that no fund was available for transporting water, Mr Vijayvargiya said there was no shortage of funds to provide relief to the drought-hit as Rs 3 crore had already been sanctioned. Loans of farmers had been converted from short-term to medium term and recovery of cooperative loan and land