Hyderabad: The State Government is likely to divide farmers into three categories — poor, marginal and rich farmers — before implementing the farm loan waiver scheme.
According to sources, the new guidelines for loan waiver are being worked out based on this new formula. Loans up to Rs 2 lakh would be waived off and the order would be released in about a week’s time.
Poor and marginal farmers with less land holdings and huge loan debt would be given first priority. Farmers who own above 10 acres of land in the ayacut area will get the benefit only after scrutiny of their financial status by the local authorities.
Top official sources said that the government wanted to strictly make available the loan waiver scheme benefit mainly for the poor farmers who were completely dependent on the farming for their livelihood. The State Agriculture Department has gathered information about the farmers staying in villages and living on farming in every agriculture season.
Sources said that those who possess big land holdings above 10 acres were staying out of their village and gave the lands to the tenant farmers would get less priority. “All these details would help the farm loan waiver implementing agency – Agriculture department to divide the farmers into different categories and then extend the benefit to the needy first,” a senior official said.
The government is contemplating excluding I-T tax payers, government employees (both state and central) and elected representatives, including MLAs, MPs and MLCs from the scheme. Since it requires more time to identify these sections as the list is long, the government is also thinking of felicitating all those rich farmers who would voluntarily come forward announcing that they would not avail the loan waiver scheme.
The Government is taking all necessary precautions in formulating the guidelines carefully so as to ensure that there was no backlash from the farming community and the opposition over the loan waiver scheme.
Availability of funds is also a big challenge to complete the implementation of the loan waiver scheme by August 15. Officials said that Rs 30,000 crore was required for the scheme and hence the government gave first priority to the poor farmers to provide relief from the institutional debts.