Faltering On Loan Waiver Promises, MP And Rajasthan Congress Governments Now Cosying Upto PM Kisan Scheme, Says Report

The Congress governments in Madhya Pradesh (MP) and Rajasthan are cozying up to the Centre’s PM Kisan Nidhi scheme while their own election promises for farm loan waivers remain unfulfilled, Economic Times has reported.

The states have together notified the details of close to 84 lakh farmers eligible for the scheme, both individually higher than the NDA ruled Bihar which has a larger number of farmers.

While the MP government had ear-marked Rs 5,000 crore for the loan waiver, Rajasthan’s Ashok Gehlot had promised a loan waiver amounting to Rs 15,000 crore. However, of the loans waived by the Gelhot-government between 7 February and 1 March only 5 per cent were reportedly over Rs 1 lakh.

However, the two states governments have now warmed up to the PM Kisan Nidhi scheme which involves a pay-out of Rs 6,000 to the registered farmers in three instalments to meet agricultural capital needs.

While MP has sent close to 36 lakh details under the scheme, Rajasthan has sent the data of over 48 lakh farmers. UP has seen the highest number of farmers under the scheme at over 1.6 crore while Bihar has had a mere 30 lakh farmers registered for the cash pay-outs approximately.