Farmers are under heavy debt, but loan waivers only treat the symptom, not the disease afflicting India's farm sector
ON JUNE 21, Karnataka became the fourth state to waive off farm loans in a span of less than three months. In doing that, it joined Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Punjab. Ever since the Bharatiya Janata Party government waived off ₹36,500 crore farm loan in Uttar Pradesh, keeping a promise it made before the Assembly elections held earlier this year, farmers across the country have demanded similar treatment. With Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Rajasthan scheduled for polls in 2017-18, the demand will only gain steam.
The Uttar Pradesh government’s decision on April 4 triggered a chain reaction. On June 11, the Devendra Fadnavis government in Maharashtra announced a waiver of ₹35,500 crore loan to benefit 3.4 million small and marginal farmers. The total outstanding agricultural loan in the state was around ₹62,776.8 crore. Punjab, where the Congress had promised waiver before polls, followed and announced a loan waiver of ₹10,000 crore on June 19. Karnataka, with a loan waiver of ₹8,165 crore, was the last one to make the announcement till the magazine went to print. The total debt in Punjab and Karnataka is estimated to be ₹70,000 crore and ₹52,000 crore respectively.
In Madhya Pradesh, where the situation is particularly volatile and six protesters have died in police firing on June 6, the government is silent on the ₹52,104-crore outstanding loan.
Among the states that have seen protests and are likely to waive off loans, Andhra Pradesh has already started raising money through taxation. Three years ago, the newly formed Telugu Desam Party government in Andhra Pradesh had waived off ₹24,000-crore farm loan. The Tamil Nadu farmers also undertook a month-long protest in Delhi this April to get their ₹5,780-crore loan waived off.
Bu hikaye Down To Earth dergisinin July 1, 2017 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye Down To Earth dergisinin July 1, 2017 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
A SPRIG TO CARE FOR
Punarnava, a perennial herb, is easy to grow and has huge health benefits
DIGGING A DISASTER
Soapstone mining near Dabti Vijaypur village has caused many residents to migrate.
REVIEW THE TREATMENT
Several faecal sludge treatment plants in Uttar Pradesh suffer from design flaws that make the treatment process both expensive and inefficient
MAKE STEEL SUSTAINABLE
As India works to double its GDP by 2030, its steel industry must balance growth with sustainability. By embracing policies like the Steel Scrap Recycling Policy 2019 and adopting green technologies, India is paving the way for a more sustainable future in steel production
Can ANRF pull off the impossible for India?
Anusandhan National Research Foundation is expected to reorient India's innovation goals but funding issues, old mindsets remain a drag
TROUBLED WOODS
Forests are a great bulwark against climate change. But this is fast changing. AKSHIT SANGOMLA travels through some of the pristine patches of the Western Ghats to explore how natural disturbances triggered by global warming now threaten the forest health
BLINDING GLOW
The science is clear: increased illumination has damaging consequences for the health of humans, animals and plants. It’s time governments introduced policies to protect the natural darkness and improved the quality of outdoor lighting.
GROUND REALITY
What happens when the soil loses the ability to grow healthy, high-yield crops on its own?
GM POLICY MUST BE FARMER CENTRIC
On July 23, the Supreme Court of India directed the Union government to develop a national policy on genetically modified (GM) crops for research, cultivation, trade and commerce through public consultation.
Vinchurni's Gandhi
A 96-year-old farmer transforms barren land into a thriving forest in drought-prone region of Satara
