How different states have tried to uplift their farmers

Immediately after taking oath, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath cleared the proposal of waiving farm loans up to Rs 2 lakh as promised by Congress president Rahul Gandhi ahead of assembly polls. The cost to the state exchequer is estimated to be around Rs 38,000 crore. Over 34 lakh farmers are expected to benefit from the scheme.

The Yogi Adityanath government in its first Cabinet meeting waived off agrarian loans worth Rs 36,359 crore of nearly 87 lakh small and marginal farmers in Uttar Pradesh. Under the scheme, loans of only up to Rs 1 lakh would be waived off.

In June 2017, the Devendra Fadnavis government had announced Rs 34,000 crore scheme to waive off farm loans. 80 lakh farmers are expected to benefit from it. But, till now the loan waiver scheme has reached just 39.08 lakh farmers.

Rajasthan new chief minister Ashok Gehlot, decided to completely write off loans taken from cooperative banks, while for nationalised and other banks the waiver would be for loans up to Rs 2 lakh as on November 30, 2018.
The move will cost the exchequer Rs 26,000 crore, including Rs 8,000 crore sanctioned by the previous CM Vasundhara Raje and will benefit farmers who are in trouble and have defaulted in loan payment.
The scheme is likely to benefit 23.5 lakh farmers in the state who have taken farm loan from cooperative banks.

The Karnataka government has waived off Rs 8,165 crore farm loans from cooperative banks in 2017, benefitting more than 22 lakh farmers. Crop loans upto Rs 50,000 were waived during the scheme.

Within hours of being sworn-in as Chhattisgarh Chief Minister, Bhupesh Baghel announced loan waiver amounting to Rs 6,100 crore. The move is expected to benefit 16.65 lakh farmers reeling under debt. The move aims to waive off all short term crop loans.

The BJP government in Assam has approved Rs 600 crore farm loan waiver which will benefit around 8 lakh farmers of the state. According to the Assam government scheme, it will write off 25 per cent loan of farmers up to a maximum of Rs 25,000 of all farm debts taken through Kisan Credit Card (KCC) and from PSU banks.

CM Naveen Patnaik announced Rs 10,180 crore programme under which farmers will get Rs 10,000 a year for purchase of seeds, fertilisers and insecticides as well as an interest free loan of Rs 50,000. The scheme is titled Krushak Assistant for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (KALIA).

Telangana government has launched a first-of-its kind investment support scheme for all farmers who will get Rs 8,000 per acre, every year, as crop investment support. About 58 lakh farmers are expected to benefit from the initiative, called the Rythu Bandhu scheme. The yearly cost of the scheme is estimated to be Rs 12,000 crore every year.

The farmers in the state of Jharkhand will be given grant of Rs 5,000 per acre every year as assistance to fulfil their requirements for agricultural work. The scheme will be launched by next financial year. Over 22 lakh farmers are expected to benefit from this scheme putting a burden of Rs 2,250 crore on the exchequer.

Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has announced that every farmer will get Rs 5,000 per acre annually in two instalments beginning January 2019. Also, the Krisak Bandhu scheme will grant Rs 2 lakh to the kin of farmers who die due to any reason, including suicide. The scheme is expected to benefit 72 lakh farmers.