Loan waiver, Gujjar quota rock Rajasthan Assembly

The issues of farm loan waiver and reservation for the Gujjar community rocked the Rajasthan Assembly session, which began here on Monday.

While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislators raised slogan saying 'Karz maafi dhokha hai' (loan waiver is a deceit), Rashtriya Loktantrik Party's patron Hanuman Beniwal along with Bahujan Samaj Party MLAs raised slogans demanding 5 per cent reservation for the Gujjar community.

The statewide stir launched by the Gujjar community demanding reservation in government jobs and education institutes entered its fourth day on Monday.

Beniwal, along with RLP legislator Indra Devi and BSP's Rajendra Singh Guda and Joginger Singh Avana stepped into the well of the House with a few others and started raising slogans of taking the Gujjar agitation issue to Delhi to get 5 per cent reservation for the community.

Other opposition MLAs also stepped into the well and raised slogans that the government has deceived farmers by making fake promises.

Amid the commotion, Speaker CP Joshi adjourned the proceedings for an hour.

Earlier, before the zero hour, Leader of the Opposition Gulab Chand Kataria raised the demand of complete loan waiver to farmers.

Let the government clarify as to how many farmers shall benefit with how much amount under its loan waiver scheme, Kataria said.

On this, Minister for Urban Development Shanti Dhariwal said the BJP government had failed to give exact figures when they provided farm loan waiver of up to Rs 50,000 in 2017.

Following this, the entire opposition rushed into the well and started raising slogans like "Kisaano ka poora jarja maaf karo" (Waive the entire loan of farmers).

Kataria said even after 54 days of the formation of the new government, its policies were not clear.

"Now, a 'love letter' has been written to the Prime Minister by the Chief Minister, asking him to give farm loan waiver to farmers," he said.

This flouted the promise made to farmers that they will get complete loan waiver within 10 days, Kataria said.

--IANS

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