The Yogi Government will start distribution of certificates of its much-hyped loan waiver scheme on Thursday, with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath handingover certificates to small and marginal farmers at function in lucknow.
Around 7,000 farmers would receive certificates amounting to around Rs 50 crore. Union Home minister Rajnath Singh would be the chief guest at the function to be held at Smriti Upvan at 3 pm.
Speaking to reporters, Agriculture minister Surya Pratap Shahi said that after Wednesday's function, ministers and peoples' representatives would distribute certificates same in respective districts.
Shahi said that in the first phase, farmers who have Aadhar linked with bank accounts would be given the benefit. In the second phase, those farmers will be included who have no Aadhar card but there is no dispute on their land and the third and last phase would include those who have dispute over their lands.
“The farmers will not get the waiver amount physically as it will be directly transferred to their banks for necessary action,” the Agriculture minister said.
The UP government has already set up committees in all 75 districts of the state headed by District Magistrates to select eligible farmers to receive the benefit.
Around 86 lakh farmers in the state are expected to receive the benefit whose loan of up to Rs 1 lakh would be waived. The government has already selected around 26 lakh farmers for the benefit and most of them possess Aadhar card.
The state government has already made a provision of Rs 34,000 crore in the budget this fiscal for loan waiver, though earlier they had claimed that it would require Rs 36,000 for the scheme.
Shahi said that all farmers who have taken loan from any bank, including co-operative banks, have been covered nder the scheme but it applies only for farm loans taken for paddy, wheat, fertilizers and insecticides.
“Only those farmers who took loan before March 31, 2017 are eligible for loan waiver scheme. The scheme will also cover 7 lakh farmers who were under debt and whose loans had turned into non-performing assets,”the minister said.