Cong dubs Khattar govt's Rs 4,750-crore interest, penalty waiver 'electoral lollipop'

The Congress on Tuesday described the Rs 4,750-crore waiver on interest and penalty on farm loans announced by the Haryana government as an "electoral lollipop" and asked it to completely write off crop loans.

Addressing a rally in Bhiwani on Monday, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced the waiver on crop loans from cooperative banks, saying the move will benefit 10 lakh farmers.

"The interest waiver for farmers announced by the Khattar government in respect to loans extended by land mortgage banks, cooperative banks and primary agricultural cooperative societies is only an electoral lollipop," senior Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala said in a statement here.

He also questioned the intentions of the state's BJP government in granting the relief.

"If the intention of the government was to give justice to the farmers and poor farm labourers, then it should have waived all loans outstanding in the land mortgage bank, co-operative banks, primary agricultural co-operative societies and nationalised banks on the lines of the UPA government," the Congress leader said.

Asserting that no farmer is in a position to repay loans, Surjewala said, "In such a situation, it is just a scheme of creating an illusion to loot the people."