Rajasthan CM Stands Against Auction Of Farmer's Lands

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has asked commercial banks to halt the auction of defaulting farmers' agricultural estates in the state. As commercial banks began issuing notices to defaulting farmers, the problem became a major political issue, with the BJP accusing the Congress government of failing to follow through on a pledge to waive farmer loans made during the assembly elections.

Under the Removal of Difficulties Act, commercial banks under the Reserve Bank administration have begun the process of attaching and auctioning defaulting farmers, The chief minister observed in a tweet, further mentioning that the state government had asked the bureaucrats to stop with the proceedings.

Putting the ball in the center's court, Gehlot said the state government has waived cooperative bank farmers' loans and requested the federal government to direct commercial banks to pay farmers' loans once and for all. The state government is willing to contribute to this effort.

He also implicitly blamed the Governor, claiming that the state legislature had passed a bill prohibiting the auction of up to 5 acres of agricultural land by farmers, but the governor had not signed it, preventing it from becoming law. Expressing his disappointment, that the scenario had arisen because the bill was unable to become law, he hoped that the bill will be passed quickly to avoid future auctions.

Satish Punia, the state president of the Bjp, stated that the CM is laying the blame on commercial banks and issuing letters to them, but the pledge was made by Congress, and it is up to them to keep it.

Notably, during the recent assembly elections, Congress vowed to forgive farmers' loans, and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi declared that Congress will waive farmers' loans within ten days of taking power. The Gehlot government kept its pledge and waived cooperative bank loans, while commercial bank loans are yet to be waived. Defaulter farmers in numerous districts have recently received notices from these banks that their land will be auctioned.