Rajasthan Shocker: Villagers Who Never Took Loans Named as Beneficiaries in Farm Loan Waiver by Previous BJP Govt
Villagers seek action against people allegedly siphoned money meant for farm loan waiver by using their names.
Jaipur, January 8: Residents of several residents of Govadi village in Rajasthan’s Dungarpur district on Saturday got the shock of their lives, when they came to know that they were among the beneficiaries of farm loan waiver announced by the previous BJP government in the state. They claim they had never taken a farm loan in their lives.
Expressing surprise, 22-year-old Gaurav Sevak states, as The Indian Express reported, “My father (Ramesh Sevak) works in Mumbai. The official website shows that he has received a loan waiver of Rs 57,300. He never took any farm loan.” Gaurav’s father’s name cited in the list of beneficiaries uploaded on the state Cooperative Department website. Rajasthan Government Announces Farm Loan Waiver Upto Rs 2 Lakh.
Soon after the mistake was pointed out, residents held protests and submitted a memorandum to the district administration seeking action against people – allegedly siphoned money meant for farm loan waiver by using their names.
Taking immediate action, Rajasthan Cooperative Department started a probe. Even department officials agree that similar irregularities have been noticed in three Large Agricultural Multipurpose Societies (LAMPS) situated in villages Govadi, Gamda Bamniya and Jethana in Sagwara tehsil of Dungarpur district.
Briefing more about the probe, Cooperative Department Registrar, Neeraj K Pawan, said, as the daily quotes, “In our investigation so far, we have found that in one of these three LAMPS, names of 263 people have been used to allocate farm loan waivers worth Rs 1.44 crore despite the fact that these people did not avail of the loan. We are investigating how these societies have attributed the loan waiver money to them.”
Pawan added that the previous Vasundhara Raje-led state government announced the loan waiver. However, the department website states that loans for 3,073 farmers have been waived in three societies, which is currently under investigation. Even Regional Audit Officer of Cooperative Department in Udaipur has asked for records of these three societies for the probe. Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh Lashes Out at Sukhbir Badal For Terming Farm Loan Waiver by Congress in Three States as Farce.
The controversy over loan waiver for farmers is gaining a political momentum after both the ruling dispensation and opposition are making a hue and cry over the issue. Soon after coming to power, Congress-led Ashok Gehlot government waived-off loans for ailing farmers. The move has been criticised by the opposition BJP.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 08, 2019 11:14 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).