The Madhya Pradesh government has issued a clarification, two days after it accepted the debt waiver for farmers by the previous Congress government in the state. The government said that "authorities gave the wrong information".
The opposition Congress has termed the government's statement as irresponsible.
In the Assembly, it was accepted by the government two days ago that the debt waiver of about 27 lakh farmers has been approved in the Jai Kisan Karzmafi Yojana under the Congress rule. The Congress targeted the ruling BJP as the saffron party has accused it of not waiving farmers' debt.
On Wednesday, on behalf of the government, Urban Administration Minister Bhupendra Singh gave a clarification on the issue. He said that as officials had given wrong information about the farmers' loan waiver, the government is probing the matter.
The government's statement has been termed as "irresponsible" by former state Agriculture Minister Sachin Yadav. He said that the Assembly is a Constitutional body and each word spoken there is significant. There is a process for answering a question and the minister concerned receives a briefing before the answer is given in the House.
The minister himself signs the reply, followed by the reply in the House. In the case of farmers' loan waiver, the officials are only stating the facts. The truth is that the debt of farmers has been waived, he said.
