• In Congress-ruled Haryana, the government is considering a proposal to enable farmers to swap loans taken from Ahrtiyas (commission agents) with those from banks on easy terms. This is expected to benefit an additional 10 lakh farmers. This announcement has had repercussions in neighbouring Punjab where Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal is under pressure to come up with a similar measure. Badal has announced setting up of a committee to look into the implications of this loan waiver.

• In BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan made a series of announcements for farmers which will cost the state Rs 5,600 crore. Apart from waiver of penalty for overdue electricity bills, farmers will have to pay only 50 per cent of pending power dues. Chouhan announced that his government will pay an additional bonus of Rs 100 per quintal to wheat farmers.