The Congress government has implemented cuts in the eligibility criteria for loan waiver, excluding families without ration cards, government employees, pensioners, and income tax payers. Despite promises of crop loan waiver for all, many farmers are finding their names missing from the list and are facing disappointment.
Many hopefuls are queuing up at the AEOs (Agricultural Extension Officers) to understand why they are not eligible. Upon entering their Aadhaar card numbers on the loan waiver website, many discover they are ineligible due to the absence of a ration card or because a family member is a government employee.
Furthermore, even some income tax payers initially deemed eligible are finding their loans have not been waived. Critics argue that the government’s stringent cuts have rendered earlier promises of no reductions in loan waivers false.
The government’s loan waiver rules state that a ration card is required to identify the family, adhering to the PM Kisan rules. This provision has led to criticism, as many farmers are deemed ineligible. In response, CM Revanth Reddy asserted that ration cards would not be the standard for loan waivers and that any farmer with a Pattadar passbook would have their loans waived. However, implementation has not aligned with these assurances.
Only those receiving PM Kisan investment assistance are eligible for the loan waiver. Notably, even PM Kisan beneficiaries are excluded if they lack a ration card. This discrepancy between the number of loan waiver beneficiaries and PM Kisan beneficiaries raises suspicions. About 33 lakh farmers receive PM Kisan assistance in the state, but the government has determined that only 32.5 lakh farmers qualify for the loan waiver.
Entire families of government employees are also excluded from the loan waiver. Family members are grouped based on Aadhaar numbers, and if one member is a government employee, none are eligible for the waiver. This regulation has excluded a significant number of farmers from receiving loan relief. Concerns are growing that if this is the case for a loan waiver of Rs. 1 lakh, stricter rules might apply for larger waivers.
As of December 2023, a farmer with a loan of Rs. 1 lakh in SBI received a message that only Rs. 21,453 was waived. Despite the government’s Rythu Bharosa scheme providing Rs. 22,500 for three acres, this farmer feels misled and left in financial distress, as the waiver does not meet the promised relief.