Being the first state in the country, Rajasthan Legislative Assembly on Wednesday passed a Bill by voice vote to give relief to farmers who sometimes reach a stage of non-payment of loans and face default.
Udai Lal Anjana, the minister in-charge, placed the legislation titled “The Rajasthan State Farmers Debt Relief Commission Bill-2023” which was passed by voice vote amid BJP protest. However, Balwan Poonia, CPI-M MLA, did question the state and the Central governments but it was not heard in the din.
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In its statement on objects and reasons, the bill reads: The problem of farmer indebtedness is getting a serious dimension in recent times. Many factors, such as famine, flood, heavy rainfall, short rainfall (scarcity), hailstorm and another natural calamity increase indebtedness of farmers.
Thus farmers are unable to pay loans taken from any financial institutions or money lenders. Keeping in view pitiful condition of the farmers there is a necessity to bring legislation to provide relief to the farmers who hold agricultural land whether as tenant or sub-tenant, license or mortgagee, government land lease or partly in one capacity and partly in another with possession of land including marginal and small farmers whose principal means of livelihood is agriculture.
A commission to be constituted under the law shall be empowered to pass awards after adjudication and to recommend appropriate measures for the redressal of the grievances of such farmers through conciliation and negotiations. The Farmers’ Debt Relief Commission will look and consider the debt ridden farmers’ situation and prevent the auction of their land, and enable them to make repayment, and/or propose loan waivers.
