The Union Minister of Finance Shri Pranab Mukherjee while presenting the budget 2009-10 in Lok Sabha today announced the extension in the time given to the farmers having more than two hectares of land to pay 75% of their overdues under Debt Waiver and Debt Relief Scheme extended from 30th June, 2009 to 31st December, 2009. This extension of 6 months has been given in the wake of delay in the arrival of monsoon, he added.
The Minister of Finance proposed to set up a Task Force to examine the issue of debt taken by a large number of farmers in some regions of Maharashtra from the private money lenders. As these farmers were not covered by the Agriculture Debt Waiver and Debt Relief Scheme (2008), this matter needs to be examined in greater detail, he added.