Providing crop loans to tenant farmers seems to be difficult task

Kadapa: The aim of the government in providing crop loans to the tenant farmers appears to be difficult task as the bankers reportedly reluctant to considered the proposal of the government in positive manner over lending loans to tenant farmers due to legal and technical reasons related to the recovery of out standings. It was clearly proved that only 554 farmers secured crops loans from the banks despite government issued Loan Eligibility Cards (LEC) to 1800 farmers for 2017-18 year in the district. According to the sources there are about 15,000 farmers conducting paddy and horticulture cultivation in the district.

The reason for the poor response from the tenant farmers were many including lack of awareness on the part both land owners and tenant farmers. Most of the land owners are reluctant to sign the form expressing their willingness for loan to their tenant farmers.

Even though the government clarifying that loan provision to tenant farmers will not no way affect the rights of the farmer(owner) of the land, many fear that the extension of bank loan facility to the tenant farmers will be strengthen tenant farmers claim over the land which in the long run will work against the interest of land owner. " Despite government has issued assurance behalf of the tenant farmer in loan recovery aspect , but we fear once tenant farmer got the crop loan from the bank there will danger of he will be legalized for owner ship of that land in future.

This was main reason most of the land owners ignored to sign the papers for issuing loans to the tenant farmers" said AP Rythu Sangam district president B.Dastagiri Reddy. However the Rythu Sangam leader opined that government may form new guidelines in place of issuing LEC to avoid legal completions in loan recovery aspect in the interest of more 'T' farmers availing crop loans.

A bank official on the condition of anonymity told Hans India the owner of the land feeling insecure of his property once he committed to transfer the ownership to the tenant by signing the form it may leads to lost his ownership rights over the particular land.