BJP stages walkout in Raj Assembly over farm loan waiver issue

The Opposition BJP members on Friday staged a walkout over farm loan waiver issue in Rajasthan Assembly.

During the Question Hour, deputy leader of Opposition Rajendra Rathore objected state cooperative minister Udai Lal Anjana's reply on farm loan waiver and its beneficiaries.

Rathore said there was a difference in the figures in the written and oral reply given by the minister in the House.

He claimed that the minister has stated in the written reply that "estimated loan amount" of Rs 7179 crore of 20,99,249 farmers has been waived off. He demanded that the government should provide the real number not the estimated beneficiaries of loan waiver scheme and the amount waived off.

The minister replied that short term loans of Rs 7179 crore have been waived and deposited in the bank accounts. The difference in figures in written and verbal reply is due to number of double entries and ineligible farmers found during scrutiny, he said adding all the beneficiaries have also received loan waiver certificates.

Leader of Opposition Gulab Chand Kataria too joined the issue and said if "estimated loan waiver amount" had not been written then we would have satisfied that Rs 7179 crore has transferred to farmers account.

It created suspicion wheather the funds have been transferred or not. The word 'estimated' means that till date the government is not clear about the number of beneficiaries and the amount waived off, he claimed
However, the minister said 19,70,135 farmers were verified through Aadhaar card number and amount has been transferred to their account and by mistake if anyone else is left than it can be accommodated, that's why "estimated has been written."