PAC to take up CAG report on farm loan waiver

Murli Manohar Joshi-led Public Accounts Committee has decided to take up the contentious CAG report on UPA's much talked about farm loan waiver scheme, setting the tone for yet another political clash.
Though the term of the present PAC end on April 30, the panel yesterday decided unanimously to take up the report.
The new PAC will be constituted next month and as per procedures, it will take up the "pending agendas" of the outgoing committee.
The PAC is headed by a member of the Opposition party.
The other reports PAC decided to take up include is the one on Integrated child Development Scheme (ICDS) and Army's 'Pinaka' multi-barrel rocket launching system.

The CAG report tabled in Parliament in March pointed out that several ineligible farmers were favoured and a large number of deserving small and marginal farmers were ignored in implementing the Rs 52,000-crore farm loan waiver scheme.

CAG said it found discrepancies involving 6,822 out of a sample of 80,229 farmers who were granted debt waiver or relief under the scheme announced by the previous UPA government.
Out of these, 4,826 farmers were extended incorrect benefits-3,262 were wrongly extended Rs.13.35 crore as debt relief while 1,564 were extended less than their due benefits of Rs.1.91 crore.
The BJP had sought a CBI probe into what it dubbed as "farmers debt waiver scam.