Vidarbha: PMO seeks ideas for mid-course correction

The then Divisional Commissioner of Amravati and the implementing authority for the package, S K Goel, had made a presentation before the Prime Minister on the work done under the package programmes. An impressed PM had said that the suggestions made by Goel were “laudable” and the state Government should send its ideas for a possible mid-course correction in the package, for which “the Centre has an open mind”.

However, the state Government made no move in the direction. Finally, the PMO decided to make the first move with Joint Secretary Sanjay Mishra writing to the CS to suggest the changes. Joseph then forwarded the copy of the letter to the various secretaries concerned and has now asked them to suggest changes that could help improve the package and its implementation.

The letter was received by the secretaries on Friday.

All the suggestions will be sent to the PMO in a consolidated form, sources said.

One of the major and most important suggestions made by Goel, now the new Principal Secretary of the Co-operatives Department, was to extend the interest waiver by another year to enable last year’s defaulters to get fresh loans. Goel had also suggested conditional and slabbed full loan waiver for those agreeing to shift to organic farming and accept contract farming.

Break in credit cycle has emerged as a major reason for distress in Vidarbha this year. Last year, a record 10 lakh farmers were given loan. However, only 40 per cent of them could repay the loan, and the remaining 60 per cent became ineligible for fresh loans.