`34,000cr agri loan planned for farmers
The state government has set a target of `34,000 crore to be given as agricultural loan to farmers across state this year.
In a bid to provide relief to farmers of 15 drought-hit districts, the state government has decided to re-organise the loan provided to them.
Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan made the announcement after a meeting with the state-level banking committee on Monday.
Mr Chavan said, “It is untrue that banks are not interested in giving agricultural loans to farmers, as the state government has set a target of providing `34,000 crore in the form of agricultural loan to farmers this year. The amount is `10,000 crore more than what was allocated last year. In fact, the amount of agricultural loan has multiplied four times in the last three years,” he added.
The CM added that on repayment of loan by March, farmers would also get an exemption on the interest rates.
However, the farmers from the drought-affected areas have not even been able to pay installments of the loan.
“In view of the severe drought, the government has decided to reorganise the loan of farmers from such areas. Loans of around `7,000 crore will be reorganised by this decision,” he said.
Mr Chavan added that on charges of irregularities, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had cancelled the licences of six district banks, but the state government had provided financial assistance to these banks last month and as a result, banks from Jalna, Dhule and Nandurbar districts might get their licences back.
He also denied allegations that the farmers were being forced to repay their loans.
He informed that meetings of district-level credit committees would take place in all the drought-hit districts of state.
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