As if the existing regulations are not enough to avail crop loan waiver, the Congress government has come up with another instruction for farmers. Despite their claim to waive loans up to Rs. 2 lakhs for all farmers, now the Revanth Reddy government is suggesting that farmers approach government officials if their name is missing from the list of beneficiaries.
On Friday, the Agriculture Department released new instructions saying that farmers who do not receive a loan waiver are advised to file a complaint with the Mandal Agriculture Officer. The department assured that all complaints would be resolved within 30 days. Orders have already been dispatched to district agricultural officials.
District Agriculture Officers have issued these instructions to every Mandal Agriculture Officer within the district. Complaints from farmers will be reviewed and addressed within the 30-day timeframe set by the government. To verify crop loan information and the status of each farmer eligible for the loan waiver (covering loans taken between December 12, 2018, and December 9, 2023), logins have been provided to every agricultural extension officer and Mandal Agriculture Officer. Farmers can provide their Aadhaar numbers to the AEO or MEO to obtain the details of the 2024 crop loan waiver, as per district agriculture officials. However, experts have noted that some farmers are still missing from the loan waiver list.
On Friday, farmers whose names were not on the loan waiver list visited Mandal and district agriculture offices to seek clarification. Agricultural officers, unsure of what to tell them, checked the database using farmers’ Aadhaar details and recorded complaints from those who had not received the waiver. When asked about the next steps, officials stated that the complaints would be forwarded to higher authorities, but they could not provide a timeline for resolution.
The crop loan sanctioning process is entirely online, with bankers having all the necessary details about farmers’ loans, including bank account numbers, Aadhaar, and passbook numbers. This information is regularly updated with the government, agriculture department, and revenue department. Experts question why there are errors despite having precise details online.
Since the government began the loan waiver process in December, it has been collecting and verifying farmer information. Yet, after seven months, accurate data collection remains a concern. Farmers express frustration at having to file complaints despite their details being with the banks, wondering when their loans will finally be waived.