Waiving off loans by UP Govt. is like 'a drop in the ocean': Congress

New Delhi [India], Apr. 4 (ANI): Coming down heavily on the Uttar Pradesh Government after it waived off Rs. 30, 729 crore worth loans of small and marginal farmers, the Congress party on Tuesday said it is a positive step, but it is just like a drop in an ocean."The promise made by the Uttar Pradesh Government is just the half truth. This is a positive initiative but it is just the half truth. Out of Rs. 52,241 crore loans, only Rs. 36,000 crore loan of 86 lakh farmers has been waived off, till now the framers has to pay the term loan of Rs. 56, 000 crore. It's just like a drop in an ocean," Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala told ANI. Surjewala also added that the farmers of Uttar Pradesh have lost hope in the Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Government after this Cabinet meeting. "They had promised to waive off the loan of all the farmers. What about the term loan? They have just waived off crop loan. The framers will always have to carry the burden of term loan burden," he said. He also requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Adityanath to stand up to the promises made by them at the time of assembly elections, adding that the framers don't want their sympathy, they just want their right. Resonating similar sentiment, the Samajwadi Party which formed a pre-poll alliance with the Congress for the state assembly elections said the loan waiver was a 'laughable' decision. "Decisions made are laughable. I want to request Yogi ji not to work as per his officers. If they will work as per the people then it will be more beneficial for them," Samajwadi Party leader Naresh Agrawal told ANI. Agrawal also added that the people of Uttar Pradesh have been cheated with this decision. The Uttar Pradesh Government earlier in the day waived off Rs. 30, 729 crore worth loan amount of the small and marginal farmers of the state. The decision will be benefitting 2 crore 15 lakh farmers of the state. Along with this, the government has also decided to forego Non-Performing Assets (NPA) worth Rs. 5,630 crore of eight lakh farmers. "Uttar Pradesh has 2, 30,00,000 farmers. We have waived off Rs. 30, 729 crore loan amount of the farmers," Cabinet Minister Siddharth Nath Singh told the media here. Cabinet Minister Shrikant Sharma said that the government has decided to keep a target of 80 lakh tonnes of wheat purchase. "All the district Magistrates (DMs) have been instructed to purchase more where there is more produce," Sharma said. Also, 7,000 purchase centres would be opened in the state. Singh also intimated that the government would introduce 'farmer bond' for the welfare of the farming community. (ANI)