Friday, December 28th, 2018
Centre weighs zero interest on crop loans repaid on time ahead of 2019 polls
The Narendra Modi government was weighing an interest waiver on crop loans for farmers who pay back on time, a step that would cost the exchequer an extra Rs 15,000 crore, according to sources. The move was part of efforts to address farm distress ahead of the 2019 general election. Proposals under study Besides the interest waiver, sources said there was a proposal to fully waive the premium on insurance for food crops and to lower the premium for horticultural crops. Several rounds of high-level meetings had been held inRead More
Centre weighs farm package after heartland losses; Chidambaram asks where the money is
The Centre was reported to be preparing measures to raise rural incomes, possibly before the end of Parliament’s winter session, after the BJP lost Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh in state elections where farm distress was a major issue. Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram questioned how such a plan would be paid for. What the government was considering According to party sources, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks on a wide farm relief package with Arun Jaitley, the finance minister, party president Amit Shah and Radha Mohan Singh, who holdsRead More