Payment relief for farmers

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee while presenting the Vudget 2009-10 in Lok Sabha on Monday announced the extension in the time given to the farmers having more than two hectares of land to pay 75 per cent of their overdues under Debt Waiver and Debt Relief Scheme extended from June 30, 2009 to December 31, 2009.

This extension of 6 months has been given in the wake of delay in the arrival of monsoon, he added.

The minister of finance proposed to set up a Task Force to examine the issue of debt taken by a large number of farmers in some regions of Maharashtra from the private money lenders.

As these farmers were not covered by the Agriculture Debt Waiver and Debt Relief Scheme (2008), this matter needs to be examined in greater detail, he added. - PIB