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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | MP loan scam: Interest subsidy for 1.77 lakh ‘ghost’ farmers swindled -Amarjeet Singh

MP loan scam: Interest subsidy for 1.77 lakh ‘ghost’ farmers swindled -Amarjeet Singh

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published Published on Oct 20, 2015   modified Modified on Oct 20, 2015
-The Times of India

BHOPAL: At a time when suicides by farmers in Madhya Pradesh following scanty rain and poor yield have brought back focus on their plight, allegedly more than 1.77 lakh ghost farmers benefitted from interest subsidies on their loans.

Putting a question mark on the much hyped 0% interest farm loan scheme of the state government, a series of RTI queries by TOI revealed that between 2007-08 and 2012-13, interest subsidies meant for marginal farmers were embezzled by co-operative banks in the name of 1,77,956 'ghost' farmers.

This happened while close to 10,000 farmers committed suicides for various reasons in Madhya Pradesh in the last 8 years in the state according to the data by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).

As per norms, a farmer from MP gets crop loan at 0% interest rate. Actually co-operative banks charge 11% interest, 6 percentage points of this interest are subsidized by state government and rest 5 percentage points interest is subsidized by National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard).

As each farmer's interest is subsidized partly by two departments Nabard and state government— request for interest subsidy for the same farmer is sent by banks to both Nabard and state government, each financial year. It clearly means, the number of farmers for whom interest subsidy is being demanded from Nabard and state government should be the same.

But replies to queries under Right to Information Act sought by TOI, revealed shocking facts.

NABARD in its reply said in 2007-08, request for interest subvention of 20,91,113 farmers was sent by co-operative banks while state co-operatives department informed in its reply that request for interest subsidy of 20,84,550 farmers was sent to state government the same year—ideally these numbers should have been the same. But in this case, request for interest subsidy of 6,563 additional farmers were sent NABARD, which sources claim are 'ghost' farmers.

In a similar fashion, in 2008-09, interest subsidy request for additional 29,306 farmers, who are either fake or ghost farmers was sent to state government. In 2009-10, request for interest subvention of 42,902 fake farmers was sent to state government by co-operative banks, likewise in 2010-11 request for interest subvention of 42,434 fake farmers was sent to Nabard, while in 2011-12, request of 37,699 ghost or fake farmers was sent and in 2012-13, request for interest subvention against 19,052 such fake farmers was sent.

However, in 2013-14, no such discrepancy was found and requests of the same number of farmers for interest subvention was sent to both the agencies—Nabard and state government.

Between 2007-08 and 2012-13, interest subsidy in the name of 1,77,956 such fake farmers was embezzled.

When contacted, principal secretary, co-operatives, Ajit Kesari admitted there are discrepancies and said, "We have identified it seven months ago and have started reconciliation process. It is for that reason that no such discrepancies are evident in 2013-14. We are also putting in place a transparent online system for farmer loan related issues where everything will be transparent."

"As far as embezzlements in previous years are concerned, we are recovering the amounts from cooperative societies and reconciliation is being done, the entire process is being investigated and appropriate action will be taken. Even the additional money taken from Nabard will be recovered and adjusted," Kesari said.

However, he failed to explain how two different reports, on the same issue were sent through the same organisation—Apex Bank the regulator of state co-operative banks— to two agencies and without being noticed by anyone.

"It is just a mistake. Apex Bank as well as co-operative department is committed to bring transparency," he said.

"And government auditors don't audit the accounts of co-operative banks as it is done by private chartered accountants. Only those CAs know how two different figures were adjusted in the same balance sheet," he said.


The Times of India, 20 October, 2015, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/MP-loan-scam-Interest-subsidy-for-1-77-lakh-ghost-farmers-swindled/articleshow/49460177.cms


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