DC direct officers to implement the scheme with utmost dedication

Jalandhar,
Gearing up for implementing crop loan waiver scheme for the small and marginal farmers of the state, the Deputy Commissioner Jalandhar Mr Varinder Kumar Sharma today directed the officers to identify the eligible beneficiaries by evolving a foolproof mechanism.

Addressing back to back meetings with the officers of district administration and banks here at District Administrative Complex, the Deputy Commissioner categorically said that on basis of recommendations of an expert group constituted by the state government under renowned Agro expert Dr T Haque, the state government has formulated this scheme which would cover only institutional crop loans i. e Crop loans advanced by Commercial and Cooperative banking institutions. He said that this scheme would be applicable on small and marginal farmers with land holdings below five acres. Mr Sharma said that the Direct Agricultural loan taken under a Kisan Credit card would also be covered under the scheme.

The Deputy Commissioner said that a crop loan and an investment loan taken by farmer would be counted as two distinct loans adding that the scheme would apply only on crop loan. Mr Sharma said that in case of a farmer who had taken loans from two separate lending institutions, the first priority would be given to Cooperative institutions, second to public sector banks and third to commercial banks. He said that the amount for eligible debt relief would comprise of outstanding liability under crop loan (principal and interest) as on March 31, 2017 adding that interest outstanding from April 1 till date of notification would be additional.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Commissioner asked the bankers to prepare separate Adhaar seeded village wise lists of Small and marginal farmers. He said that both the lists would be cross checked for avoiding any sort of duplication. The Deputy Commissioner said that the list would be finalised by a team comprising of Patwaris, Block Agriculture Officer and Assistant Registrar Cooperative Societies through Social audit in villages. Meanwhile, Mr Sharma said that the final compensation would be approved by the him in due consultation with the officers.

The Deputy Commissioner asked the officers to complete the entire work regarding it within a month. Mr Sharma warned that any sort of callousness in this work was totally unwarranted and undesirable. He said that stern action would be taken against any officer / official for deriliction in duty.

Prominent amongst other present on the occasion included Sub Divisional Magistrates Ms Amrit Singh, Mr Paramvir Singh, Mr Varinder Pal Singh Bajwa, Ms Navneet Kaur Bal and Mr Rajeev Verma, Chief Agriculture officer Dr BS Cheena and others