No proposal for full waive of farmer’s loan in Odisha : Cooperation Minister
Bhubaneswar : As of now, the Odisha government has not put forth any proposals for making farmers debt-free or implementing a full waiver of loans through a one-time settlement, confirmed Cooperation Minister Pradeep Bal Samanta
Responding to a question of BJD MLA Ranendra Pratap Swain, Cooperative minister Pradeep Balasamant clarified that state government has no such proposal to waive the loan of farmers this year- 2024-25.
The proposal of waive of farm loan is in ambit Agriculture department. Agriculture Department normally dealt with this issue. Cooperation department don’t deal this issue, said cooperation minister Pradeep Balasamant in his reply.
State Cooperation department only orders advisory to farmers about the loan deposit according to bank advice, said cooperation minister Balasamant.
There is no proposal under consideration by the department for a full waiver of agricultural loans or total loan waiver through one-time settlement.
However, it’s worth noting that in the past, there have been discussions about waiving agricultural loans in Odisha.
For instance, in 2017, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik expressed that the government would explore the possibility of waiving farm loans, considering the challenges faced by farmers due to factors like droughts, floods, and cyclones.
Additionally, during the 2023 elections, interest on crop loans provided during the Kharif season was waived, benefiting around 35 lakh Kharif farmers in the state
