Pawar rules out extending farm loan waiver coverage

“We are not in a position to take new responsibilities till the present commitments are implemented,” said Pawar, replying to supplementaries on the issue in the Lok Sabha.

The minister was asked whether the Government would consider writing off loans taken by farmers from money lenders and whether the size of land holding would be raised to cover more farmers under the scheme announced in this year’s Budget.

Days after the budgetary announcement, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and later party general secretary Rahul Gandhi had mooted changes in the scheme to cover more farmers. Rahul had specifically suggested that there should neither be one landholding ceiling (fixed at two hectares) nor should there be a single cut-off date.

Pawar said 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 package.

The NCP leader said the Government would strive to implement the ambitious scheme, due to be implemented by June 30 this year, announced by Finance Minister P Chidambaram.

Pawar rejected the Opposition’s claim that farmers were being cheated by the loan waiver scheme.

Speaking on the fungus, Pawar said according to experts, the effect, speed and the route of the movement of the fungus is unpredictable in the near future. A vigil is kept on the movement of Ug 99, the African race of the black (stem) rust fungus of wheat, by Directorate of Wheat Research, Karnal, through international collaboration.