Rajasthan announces farm loan waiver worth Rs 20,000 cr; farmers end two-week long agitation

Rajasthan on Thursday announced a farm loan waiver amounting to Rs 20,000 crore, following the 13-day long protest by farmers demanding the implementation of Swaminathan Commission recommendations and crop loan waiver. The state government said that it will waive loans of up to Rs 50,000, according to the Hindustan Times report. [caption id=“attachment_4046201” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. Reuters[/caption] The report said that the government would constitute a high-level team that would study the loan waiver process implemented in other states including Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab. According to The Economic Times report, Rajasthan has now become the fifth state, after Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Karnataka to waive farm loans. “A high-level team of specialists will talk to stakeholders in other states and chart out the process of loan waiver and its impact in Rajasthan,” state agriculture minister Prabhulal Saini was quoted as saying by the Hindustan Times on Thursday. The Economic Times report said that All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), affiliated with the CPM, which led the farmer protests in 14 districts of the state has withdrawn the agitation. Following the attacks on cattle traders by cow vigilantes, the government, according to The Indian Express report, has assured farmers that it would make adequate arrangements for the safety of cattle traders. On Monday, the protesting farmers had a face off with the police in Sikar,  News18 reported. A  report  said the farmers began marching towards the district collectorate but were met with barricades put up by the police. The government had also suspended internet services and imposed Section 144 in the district. The government, according to Mint, ceding to farmers’ demands, also agreed to maximise procurement of different crops at support prices. The report said that the government is mulling over giving a monthly pension of Rs 2,000 to farmers who are over 60 years old. News18 said that demonetisation and Goods and Services Tax (GST) implementation in July added to the farmers’ woes, propelling them to take to streets to push for farm loan waiver. The report quoted the Union finance ministry saying that it will not be helping states and that they are on their own when it comes to funding farm loan waivers. With inputs from PTI