Rahul Gandhi terms Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath's farm loan waiver 'partial relief'

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday called Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s decision to waive off farm loans a “partial relief” but a step in the right direction. He also cautioned the central government against “discriminating among states”. A partial relief for UP farmers, but a step in the right direction. @INCIndia has always supported loan waivers for farmers in distress(1/3)

A partial relief for UP farmers, but a step in the right direction. @INCIndia has always supported loan waivers for farmers in distress(1/3)

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) April 5, 2017

“I’m happy BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) has finally been forced to see reason,” Rahul tweeted.

I'm happy BJP has finally been forced to see reason.But let's not play politics with our farmers who are suffering across the country(2/3)

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) April 5, 2017

He also advised the Centre not to “play politics with our farmers who are suffering across the country. The central government must have a national response to the widespread distress and not discriminate,” he said. The Congress has been pressing for a loan waiver across the country on the lines of the one implemented during the UPA rule. Samajwadi Party president and former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, however, was not impressed and said that a promise of a complete loan waiver was made to the farmers.

वादा पूर्ण क़र्ज़ माफ़ी का था, किसी सीमा का नहीं. एक लाख की सीमा से करोड़ों किसान ठगा सा महसूस कर रहे है. ये गरीब किसानों के साथ धोखा है.

— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) April 4, 2017

“Millions of farmers were feeling cheated with the ceiling of Rs 1 lakh,” he said. The UP government on Tuesday cleared a Rs 36,359-crore proposal allowing waiver of loans for marginal and small farmers of the state. The decision was taken at the first cabinet meeting of the BJP government, presided over by Adityanath. The waiver by the state government applies to loans taken by these farmers against seeds for wheat and paddy crops, besides pesticides and fertilisers. In all, the amount which is being waived comes to a total of Rs 30,729 crore, the minister said. The waiver would apply to loan amounts of Rs 1 lakh. The chief minister also constituted a committee headed by deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya and includes ministers Dara Singh and Surya Pratap Shahi to find out ways to provide relief to the state’s potato growers. With inputs from IANS