Pawar snubs Rahul? No more farm loan waivers

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Government made it clear that it was not in a position to take "new responsibilities" of farm loan waivers and would strive to implement the scheme announced in this year's General Budget.

This decision seems in contrast with Rahul Gandhi’s desire of the loan waivers being extended to more farmers by revising the eligibility criteria.

"We are not in a position to take new responsibilities till the present commitments (Rs 60,000 crore farm loan waiver package) are implemented," Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said replying to supplementaries in the Lok Sabha.

He said that the government had no specific scheme to cover loans taken from moneylenders or deal with the issue of landholdings more than those covered by the farm loan waiver package.

"Let us first implement the farm loan waiver scheme presented in the Budget and see the results," Pawar said noting that more than 81 per cent farmers fall in the small and medium categories which were covered under the package.

He also rejected Opposition's claim that farmers were being cheated by the loan waiver scheme. Replying to a separate query, the minister said wheat research institutes and agriculture universities are carrying out research to develop a black rust resistant variety of wheat.