Pawar not sure if loan waiver package will curb suicides
Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar on Saturday said he was 'not sure' if suicides by farmers in his home state would stop as a result of the Rs 60,000 crore farmers relief package announced in the Union Budget.
By PTI |
MUMBAI: Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar on Saturday said he was 'not sure' if suicides by farmers in his home state would stop as a result of the Rs 60,000 crore farmers relief package announced in the Union Budget.
"I cannot tell whether the suicides will stop," Pawar said when asked if farmers' suicides in Vidarbha region will stop due to the package.
The Rs 60,000 package is part of the estimated amount of Rs 1,05,012 crore that is due from defaulters, who have taken loans from financial institutions including commercial, scheduled, regional, rural and cooperative banks, Pawar said.
The package will benefit around four crore farmers, about 82 per cent of the farming population in the country, Pawar told reporters soon. Pawar on Saturday met some farmers during his Marathwada region visit and said they were happy over the relief package.
In Maharashtra alone, about 75 per cent farmers, whose land holding is less than two hectares, will be benefited, Pawar said, describing the package as historic.
Asked about the race between political parties to take credit for initiating the package, Pawar said, "we are not concerned with that.. what is more important is that for the first time after Independence, farmers have got a good deal".
Replying to another query on the Economic Survey indicating decline in agri sector growth rate to under three per cent, Pawar said the growth will be around four per cent next year.
"I cannot tell whether the suicides will stop," Pawar said when asked if farmers' suicides in Vidarbha region will stop due to the package.
The Rs 60,000 package is part of the estimated amount of Rs 1,05,012 crore that is due from defaulters, who have taken loans from financial institutions including commercial, scheduled, regional, rural and cooperative banks, Pawar said.
The package will benefit around four crore farmers, about 82 per cent of the farming population in the country, Pawar told reporters soon. Pawar on Saturday met some farmers during his Marathwada region visit and said they were happy over the relief package.
In Maharashtra alone, about 75 per cent farmers, whose land holding is less than two hectares, will be benefited, Pawar said, describing the package as historic.
Asked about the race between political parties to take credit for initiating the package, Pawar said, "we are not concerned with that.. what is more important is that for the first time after Independence, farmers have got a good deal".
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Replying to another query on the Economic Survey indicating decline in agri sector growth rate to under three per cent, Pawar said the growth will be around four per cent next year.
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