Raj govt to waive loans of farmers committed suicide

An inter-department panel formed to look into the modalities of farm loan waiver in Rajasthan has decided to recommend Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot to waive all loans of farmers who have committed suicide between 2014 and 2018.

The decision was taken at the first meeting of the committee chaired by Urban Development Minister Shanti Dhariwal on Saturday.

"Nearly 70 farmers committed suicide in the state from 2014 to 2018. We will recommend to the chief minister that their all loans, be it for farming or for other purpose, should be waived," Dhariwal said.

He added, "This will be one of our recommendations to the chief minister. Details like financial burden will be discussed in the next meeting."

Industries Minister Parsadi Lal Meena, a member of the committee, said it will recommend waiver of loans be it from any bank and any amount.

After forming a government, Gehlot had announced to waive entire short-term agriculture loans from cooperative banks and agriculture loans of up to Rs 2 lakh from nationalised and other banks for defaulting farmers on December 19.

The committee was later set up to decide the modalities of the farm loan waiver.

Next meeting of the committee will be held on January 11.

Earlier, the meeting was scheduled to be held on January 10, but the chief minister has deputed the committee's chairman to attend the GST council meeting in New Delhi on that day.