New Delhi, Jan 12: Madhya Pradesh CM Kamalnath expects scheduled banks to waive off 50 per cent of the loans taken by farmers as had been done for industry.
When he was asked about the financial burden on the state govt for waiving off agriculture loans up to Rs 2 lakh, he said, "Eighty per cent loans taken by farmers is from scheduled banks. These banks have waived 50 per cent loan taken by industrialists and industries under one-time settlement. It they can do that for them, then why not for farmers? So let the scheduled banks waive 50 per cent of farm loans as they have done for industry.''
"We did not say (during Assembly election we will waive farm loans) just like that. A lot of calculation has gone into it'' he added.
Asked about the Bhavantar yojna launched by the previous state government, he said, "We will make some alterations as there are problems of delivery.''
Under the Bhavanter yojna, farmers were uniformly paid the shortfall between the minimum support price of produce and the price the farmer received in the mandi.
The Chief Minister who was in Delhi to lay the foundation stone for a new State Bhawan in the posh diplomatic area, said the biggest challenge in his state is 'unemployment'.
He said with the advent of internet etc., the youth today was much more knowledgeable and aspirational.
"With everybody's cooperation we will be able to give new direction for the security of youth and farmers,'' he said.
Earlier the Chief Minister laid the foundation stone for a new state bhawan at Jesus and Mary Road here but said that the quality of services and standards will be maintained only if the guests including MLAs pay for the services.
Extolling bureaucracy and state administration to change their 'mindset' so that the Bhawan is 'revenue neutral', the Chief Minister said there should be no burden on the state or the treasury through subsidies.
"We would expect every guest to pay the minimum expenses to run the bhavan,'' he said after laying the first brick.
This is the new Chief Minister's first visit to the Capital after he took charge of the state in a keenly contested election last month.
The Bhawan, to be constructed by the NBCC at an estimate cost of 149.87 crore is expected to be completed in two years. It will have 115 rooms including VVIP rooms for the State Governor, Chief Minister, judges and others.
The three-storey bhawan will be constructed on 5982 square meters, the land for which for secured previous MP government led by Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
Minister for Revenue and Transport Govind Singh said that not just VVIPs but even freedom fighters and residents of Madhya Pradesh will be able to stay in the Bhawan.