Farm Loan Waivers
Farm Loan Waivers News

Punjab govt dedicates Rs 1,68,015 crore budget to protesting farmers, announces loan waivers
In an announcement for the state govt employees who have been seeking payment of their arrears, finance minister Manpreet Badal said a provision of Rs 9,000 crore has been made in the Budget for the sixth Punjab Pay Commission

Maharashtra polls: In Wardha, farmers deadlocked by no loan waivers and no scope for fresh crop loans
Until recently, farmers in Wardha could avail of a crop loan without having to run from pillar to post

Maharashtra polls: Beed's farmers in search of crop loans, loan waivers beset by issues ranging from corruption to red tape
Numerous farmers across the agrarian district of Beed have been trying to avail of a crop loan for two years

As NPA resolution crawls, banks stare at spike in credit cost in range of 1.9% to 4.6% in second half of current fiscal
In its earlier assessment, India Rating had estimated the system-wide credit cost floor at 1.9% and capped it at 4.4% for the second half of FY19 and whole of FY20

Lok Sabha Election 2019: Why investors want Narendra Modi back for another term rather than a fractured Congress-led coalition
The Indian economy's biggest disadvantage is its weak political Opposition that can’t offer a better roadmap for the economy than what the Narendra Modi-government has done so far

RBI warns Finance Commission of more fiscal slippages by states, lists out specific factors in revised estimates
Terming it as "poor fiscal marksmanship", the RBI also went public with its concerns on deviation in revised estimates

Farm loan waivers kill credit culture, need to focus on agri distress resolution: Former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan
Loan waivers cover only those farmers who have taken loans from the formal system, Raghuram Rajan said

In Kerala, losses due to last year's floods add to woes of farmers reeling under crashing prices and growing debt
The floods in Kerala last year were just the final blow to farmers who were already reeling under crashing prices of various crops.

Lok Sabha Election 2019: Reversing Assembly election losses against Congress key to BJP's poll prospects
The challenge for the BJP is to chalk out strategies to counter the Congress, at a time when the latter party is running governments in three Hindi heartland states.

Rash of loan write-offs: YV Reddy proposes agri-risk fund as alternative with Kerala’s Debt Relief Commission as model
Agri risk funds will not deter election-facing ruling parties from ‘bribing’ voters with devices like the income transfer scheme announced in this year’s budget.

YV Reddy’s warning on farm doles: Biggest enemy of Indian farmer is the power-hungry politician flashing freebies
Reddy even pitched for an alternative for farm sector freebies in the form of an agricultural distress fund contributed by both the states and Centre, rather than the ongoing measure of arbitrary scheme announcements.

Chief Minister Kamal Nath is morphing into CEO of Madhya Pradesh one small step at a time
Those who know Kamal Nath agree that sitting in the chief minister's chair was not exactly a dream job for someone with a Davos mindset assiduously cultivated during his tenure as Union minister

Firstpost Editor's picks: Vijay Mallya's extradition, corruption in MP farm loan waiver, Chelsea's struggles; today's top stories
Vijay Mallya pinning his hopes on UK Appeals court'; Congress' loan waiver scheme is giving farmers sleepless nights; Chelsea's systemic faults resurfacing against Manchester City; other top stories

Difference between full and interim Budget: What is a vote-on-account and why is Congress alleging that BJP is violating tradition
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has given strong indication that he would like to present a full budget instead of a vote-on-account which is traditionally called for in an election year, by an outgoing government, triggering outrage by the Congress.

Job quotas, loan waivers and now UBI promise: Will Union Budget 2019 halt wave of populist announcements?
A series of populist policies may help the politicians to win elections but they are certainly doing a disservice to the nation in the long-term.

One-time farm loan waiver, crop insurance scheme to be part of Congress' Lok Sabha election promises
Besides a one-time loan waiver, the other promises being considered by the Congress for farmers for the Lok Sabha polls include a new crop insurance scheme and promotion of food processing, Congress' farmers' welfare department head Nana Patole said.

Basic income support for the poor to cost at least Rs 1.5 trillion to the nation per annum: India Ratings
Domestic rating agency India Ratings Tuesday expects the interim budget to announce an income support scheme for the poor

Farm support measures to increase states' fiscal deficit in election year: India Ratings report
Competitive populism in the form of farm loan waivers and other schemes ahead of the general polls would inflate cumulative fiscal deficit of states, a report by India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) has pointed out

Rajasthan Assembly briefly adjourned after ruckus over farm loan waivers; BJP says Congress' promise causing confusion
Leader of Opposition Gulab Chand Kataria asked Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot to specify how many farmers had benefitted from the loan waiver and how much money had been deposited in their bank accounts so far.

2019 interim Budget set to be populist, but Modi will avoid Congress extravagance; focus on Ayushman Bharat
The 1 February budget—the last from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government elected in 2014—will be a Vote on Account, and it would be better to look for political signals in the economic document.