Truth vs Hype: UP's Farm Loan Waivers
Uttar Pradesh has started implementing its promised loan waivers to farmers - with thousands receiving certificates of just a few rupees, the smallest being of just one paisa. The government clarified that these are farmers who have repaid most of their loan and what has been refunded is only the balance - even if it is an insignificant amount. But we found on the field that even farmers who have debt running into thousands were handed a refund certificate of a fraction of that amount. The waiver, which cost the state Rs 36,000, was meant to benefit 86 lakh farmers. But has it turned into a a potential public relations disaster in the first round itself?
