Only 13.5 lakh farmers got crop loans by June 15

Mumbai: Due to lack of cooperation by nationalised commercial banks, only 13.52 lakh farmers availed themselves of crop loans by June 15, which is only 21 per cent of the target that was decided for this year’s kharif season. These banks achieved only 9 per cent of their targets while district cooperative banks achieved 44 per cent of their targets. Taking a serious note of the attitude of the nationalised banks — whose primary responsibility is helping farmers — chief minister Devendra Fadnavis complained to Union finance minister Piyush Goyal on Sunday, demanding that the latter give instructions to the banks concerned to expedite the loan-clearing process.

Mr Fadnavis increased the targets of crop loan disbursement for the kharif and rabbi season in a meeting held with bankers in the month of May. Mr Fadnavis told the bankers that the state government had given a loan waiver to more than 22 lakh farmers, who were now eligible for a new crop loan for the kharif season. The bankers subsequently were sent the funds for the waiver from the state government for the farmers’ accounts, which was a financial burden for them, but now — according to figures provided by the SLBC (State Level Bankers’ Committee) — these banks have hardly disbursed the new loans to farmers.

Farmers have been complaining since the past month that bankers haven’t been distributing crop loans and term loans. Opposition parties have also raised their voices over the issue. After reviewing the situation recently, Mr Fadnavis, sought feedback from the cooperation department, which revealed that the government would miss the target badly. Considering the gravity of the situation, Mr Fadnavis wrote a letter to the finance minister seeking his intervention, senior officials said.