Sir, the Hon'ble Finance Member chose to be silent on the most important and vital issue of farmers, debts still remaining, probably more than what has been waived through the loan/debt waived scheme announced in the last budget. The Government is of the opinion that it has solved the debt crises in the agricultural sector, through the write off of loans over due to the time of about 65000 crores, it is eluding itself. Sir, a large number of small and medium farmers are still under the debt trap even though they had renewed their loans by submitting interest portion to avoid legal action by the Banks. To avoid them by saying that the waiver scheme is not a repayment scheme, will be tantamount to sweeping the problem under the carpet. Sir, in Kerala more than those who got benefits are the eligible ones who got excluded from this scheme. I request the Hon'ble Finance Minister not to penalise honesty in the name of norms, which should be amended to address and solve the issue, as otherwise there will be more cases of suicides by farmers. When we expect a growth of 4% plus in the Agri-sector for boosting the overall economic growth, we should ensure that the farming community feels secure the confident about their future. Sir, the Government should also address the problem of the steep fall in prices of agricultural products like Rubbers, Pepper, Cardamom, Tea and Coffee. The Hon'ble Finance Minister should have formed a price stablisation fund to help the farmers from the financial loss they have to face off and due to the unrealistic export-import policy of the Central Government. Sir, I would request the Government to consult States before entering into bilateral treaties to grant duty concessions and MFN Status to countries.
