Rajasthan announces loan waiver for farmers

To woo farmers in Rajasthan, Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje announced a one-time loan waiver of up to Rs 50,000 for small and marginal farmers, as she presented her government's last budget before the state heads to polls later this year.

Vasundhara, who also holds the finance portfolio in the state Cabinet, announced a one-time loan waiver of up to Rs 50,000 for small and marginal farmers at a cost of Rs 8,000 crore to the state exchequer.

To ensure that farmers get relief on a merit basis, the chief minister in her budget speech said that a farmer loan relief commission will be set up to address the issues of farmers.

However, Leader of Opposition Rameshwar Dudi created an uproar in the House and said it was a betrayal to farmers and demanded that the complete loan be waived off.

Vasundhara also promised to establish nandi gaushalas in each district at a cost of 50 lakh per district and set up a biogas plant on 50% subsidy.

Interestingly, while presenting first budget of the present government, Vasundhara formed a separate cow ministry in the state.

The budget comes week after the BJP lost three seats in the crucial bypolls in the state.

In her budget speech, which lasted for about two hours, Vasundhara focused on basic the amenities of a voter 'sadak , bijli and makan' (road, electricity and house) .