The Congress-led Rajasthan government on Wednesday, 19 December, announced waivers for farm loans up to Rs 2 lakh, with the state government expected to bear a burden of Rs 18,000 crore.
Congress President Rahul Gandhi and Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot took to Twitter to share the state government's decision to waive off farm loans, a crucial pre-poll promise made by the party during election campaigning.
It's done!
December 19, 2018
Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh have waived farm loans.
We asked for 10 days.
We did it in 2.कांग्रेस अध्यक्ष श्री राहुल गांधी जी द्वारा किए गए वादे के अनुसार हमारी सरकार ने किसानों के कर्ज माफ करने की घोषणा कर दी है - कांग्रेस जो कहती है वह करती है!
December 19, 2018This comes after the newly-elected Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh governments, also led by the Grand Old Party, announced their respective farm loan waivers.
Attempting to corner the Modi government on the issue, Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday, 18 December, had said he would not let the PM sleep till a loan waiver is given to all farmers.
Then on Wednesday, 19 December, Gandhi said his party had managed to wake up the chief ministers of Assam and Gujarat to grant farm loan waivers and will rouse a “sleeping” Prime Minister Narendra Modi too.
The Congress party has managed to wake the CM's of Assam & Gujarat from their deep slumber.
December 19, 2018
PM is still asleep. We will wake him up too.Sonowal, Himanta Counter Rahul's Claims
Responding to Gandhi's claims, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma countered the Congress chief on the social networking platform.
Sonowal accused Gandhi of trying to take credits for issues related to livelihood and development of farmers of Assam.Mr Gandhi, this attempt to take credit on an issue that is related to the livelihood & development of farmers is quite frivolous. You have no moral right to talk about Assam or its farmers. Everyone knows how your successive Govts in Assam looted the resources meant for farmers.
December 19, 2018As you seem to be interested in claiming credit for some of Assam Govt's decision, I request you to take credit for all misdeeds, corruption and loot that had perpetuated all these decades under Congress rule, thus depriving the people of Assam in general & farmers in particular.
December 19, 2018The Assam government on Wednesday, 19 December, announced Rs 1,000-crore schemes to boost the farm sector in terms of waiving loans to the tune of 25 percent and announcing incentives to help the distressed farmers.
Assam Finance Minister HImanta Biswa Sarma said the Congress president has failed to respect sentiments by linking it to petty politics.
Rahul Ji, Assam Govt. has not announced any debt waiver scheme. We are offering 25% subsidy on short term agricultural loan along with full interests subvention. These schemes will continue unlike a one-time loan waiver. Completely opposite to your idea. https://t.co/o1ZGgaNJFx
December 19, 2018And we are announcing these schemes to commemorate 125 years of the agrarian uprising against the British in Pathorughat in 1894 (I announced these in my budget 10 months ago). You have failed to respect our sentiments by linking it to petty politics. https://t.co/o1ZGgb5l47
December 19, 2018Gandhi has been championing the cause of farm loan waivers, though he recently said in a press conference that they were not permanent solutions to the farming crisis and technological advances in agriculture in consultation with farmers were needed, reported PTI.
On Tuesday, 18 December, the BJP government in Assam announced the approval of Rs 600 crore farm loan waivers, which it said will benefit around eight lakh farmers of the state.
The same day, the party's government in Gujarat announced a complete waiver of Rs 625 crore in unpaid electricity bills, under its one-time settlement scheme for over six lakh people living in rural parts of the state.
(With inputs from ANI, IANS and PTI)
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