Andhra Pradesh - Anantapur   

Loan waiver details worked out for ryots

ANANTAPUR: The district-level bankers’ committee has worked out details of the loan waiver scheme announced by the Central government for the benefit of small and marginal farmers with a land-holding of a minimum five acres. In all, outstanding loans of Rs. 530.11 crore till December 31, 2007 belonging to 2,42,635 farmers will be written off.

Another 80,046 large farmers stand to benefit by Rs. 168 crore, if they repay their outstanding dues by June 30, 2008 as the Centre has announced a 25 per cent rebate scheme for them. According to the district lead bank officials, the outstanding dues till the cut off date fixed by the Centre for the loan waiver scheme were to the tune of Rs. 2,244.62 crore belonging to 7,22,547 farmers.

The waiver will mostly benefit the farmers who had borrowed from Anantapur District Cooperative Central Bank (ADCCB) and did not repay till December 31, 2007. In all, a borrowing of Rs. 283.41 crore, (principal and interest inclusive), by 1,21,147 small and marginal farmers will be written off in the cooperative bank. The 56,368 farmers who were loanees of the State Bank of India stand to benefit next with a waiver of Rs. 128.36 crore.

Similarly, Rs. 42.23 crore pertaining to 19,838 borrowers of Andhra Bank, Rs. 30.25 crore of 14,762 farmers from Syndicate Bank, Rs. 26.30 crore of 16,393 farmers in Andhra Pragati Grameena Bank, Rs. 12.39 crore of 8,648 farmers in Canara Bank, Rs. 3.27 crore of 3,146 farmers in the Corporation Bank, Rs. 1.4 crore of 773 farmers in ING Vysya Bank and Rs. 2.5 crore of 1,560 farmers in the remaining 15 banks will be written off under the waiver scheme.

The lead bank officials further stated that the short-term lending (crop loans) to agriculture has increased phenomenally since 1995-96 in the district.

Against Rs. 115.85 crore given to 1,07,478 farmers in 1995-96 the lending was about Rs. 1,150 crore to about 5 lakh farmers in 2007-08.

The increased lending has also been benefiting more farmers in terms of crop insurance coverage.

Against the sum insured for Rs. 670 crore on payment of a premium of Rs. 23.86 crore in 2006 kharif season, 3,51,751 farmers stood to benefit by the crop insurance claims which totalled to Rs. 376.12 crore.

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