Question : QUESTION DEBT RELIEF SCHEME

(a) whether farmers particularly women who have taken loan from Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies (PACS)/Self Help Groups/Joint Liability Groups (JLGs) are eligible for relief measures under agriculture loan debt waiver;

(b) if so, the details of financial relief given and number of farmers benefitted during the last three years, year-wise/State-wise/relief-wise

(c) if not, the reasons therefor;

(d) whether the Government is having any proposal to include such farmers for getting debt relief in 12th Five Year Plan; and

(e) if so, the details thereof?.

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE (SHRI NAMO NARAIN MEENA)

(a) to (c): Under the Agricultural Debt waiver and Debt Relief Scheme (ADWDRS), 2008 all agricultural loans disbursed by Public Sector Banks, Private Sector Banks, Cooperative Banks, Local Area Banks and Regional Rural Banks between 01 April 1997 to 31 March 2007 to farmers, overdue as on 31 December 2007 and remaining unpaid upto 28 February 2008 were eligible for Debt Waiver/Debt Relief. The Debt Waiver portion of the Scheme closed on 30.6.2008. The Debt Relief portion of the Scheme closed on 30.6.2010.

The State wise details of implementation of the Scheme in respect of Regional Rural Banks and Cooperative Banks are given in Annex-I. The bank wise details in respect of Public Sector Banks, Private Sector Banks and Local Area Banks are given in Annex-II. Under the scheme Rs 52,275.55 crore has been released by the Govt. to RBI and NABARD to give benefit to 3.45 crore farmers.

(d) & (e): There is no such proposal under consideration of the Government.