Despite Nabard’s tall claims there are media reports which suggest that the short-term crop loan disbursement in Rajasthan has declined substantially. The decline in farm credit since 2013-14 has given the lie to the BJP claim as well.
BJP lawmaker Sandeep Sharma tabled the report on a starred question in the Rajasthan assembly. The documents show that short-term crop loan disbursement by central cooperative banks in Rajasthan has declined from Rs.16,830 crore in 2013-14 to Rs.13,540 crore in 2016-17, a reduction of 19.54%.
While the total loan amount has declined from Rs. 1,976 crore in 2013-14 to Rs. 1,516 crore in 2016-17, the number of beneficiaries has come down from 2.84 lakh to 2.14 lakh.
Opposition Congress has alleged many farmers are committing suicide due to debt trap in the state. However, Rajasthan cooperation minister Ajay Singh Kilak has quoted facts and figures contradicting the report.