The Hindu : Front Page : Bill to provide relief to farmers introduced

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Oct 27, 2006
ePaper

Front Page

Front Page

Bill to provide relief to farmers introduced

Special Correspondent

Assembly refers the Bill to Select Committee

Revenue Minister piloted the Farmers' Debt Relief Commission Bill.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The State Assembly on Thursday referred to its Select Committee the Bill for a landmark legislation meant to provide support to the farmers reduced to penury under the impact of the policy of economic liberalisation being pursued by the country.

Piloting the Bill, titled `The Kerala Farmers' Debt Relief Commission Bill, 2006,' Revenue Minister K. P. Rajendran said the proposed legislation was but part of the efforts set in motion by the Left Democratic Front (LDF) Government to check the growing tendency of the farmers, burdened with debt, to commit suicide.

The Bill envisages the setting up of a Farmers' Debt Relief Commission with judicial status and extensive powers to help debt-ridden farmers. The commission will examine the grievances of agricultural debtors and take such measures as are necessary to assist them to recover from their obligations to non-institutional lenders. It will also have powers to fix one-time settlement of loans, interfere in cases where the creditors are unreasonable or exploitative, reduce or waive interest, declare moratorium on repayment and even write off the principal amount of the loan in the case of heavily indebted farmers.

Chief Minister V. S. Achuthanandan told the House that a State legislation could not address the problem of the farmers having heavy debts with institutional lenders such as banks. "The initiative should have come from the Union Government. After all, the present plight of the farmers in the country is entirely due to the economic policies of the Centre," he said.

Members belonging both the Treasury and the Opposition strongly supported the Bill as it was referred to the Select Committee for vetting.

The Select Committee entrusted with the task of vetting the Bill consists of Ministers K.P. Rajendran, Mullakara Ratnakaran, T.M. Thomas Isaac and G. Sudhakaran, in addition to 15 MLAs. The MLAs are: P. Viswan, V.N. Vasavan, C.K.P. Padmanabhan, P. Krishna Prasad, N. Anirudhan, M.V. Sreyams Kumar, V. Surendran Pillai, A.A. Azeez, P.C. George, K.C. Joseph, Adoor Prakash, M. Murali, Roshy Augustine, U.C. Raman and K.K. Shaju.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page