Farm loan waivers of Rs 10, Rs 20 a cruel joke: Shivraj Chouhan

BJP leader and former chief minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday termed as a "cruel joke", the reports of farmers being handed paltry sums as low as Rs 10 as farm loan waivers.

Chouhan also pointed out that the list of beneficiaries put out by the government in English must be a source of confusion for the farmers.

"The reports about people being given Rs 10, Rs 20 and Rs 50 in the name of farm loan waivers is a cruel joke. I checked a list of beneficiaries yesterday and came to know that half of the list was in English. How will the farmers be able to understand it?" Shivraj said.

The former chief minister was responding to a farmer who earlier in the day alleged to have received only a Rs 13 waiver from his loan amount of Rs 20,000.

"My loan of Rs 20,000 must be waived off as the state government is waiving off loans up to Rs two lakh. Officials have told me that they can do nothing," Nipania Baijnath , a farmer from Agar Malwa district said.

Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Bala Bachchan told reporters, "Whosoever faces this problem should inquire about it from the bank officials. We will waive off loans up to Rs two lakh of farmers who are eligible and took loan within the specified time frame.