By Special Correspondent
Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee media department president Dr Mukesh Nayak on Friday raised serious concerns over the State government’s solar pump scheme, alleging that farmers promised a 90 per cent subsidy have instead been pushed into substantial bank debt.
Citing official loan sanction letters and bank documents, Nayak said the financial structure of the scheme was “deeply troubling”. According to documents reviewed by the party, the total project cost of a solar pump was shown as Rs 4,04,475, while the actual subsidy recorded stood at only Rs 1,09,537. Farmers were required to deposit margin money of Rs 41,537, and bank loans amounting to Rs 2,53,402 were sanctioned in their names. The loans carry an interest rate of 8.30 per cent, with equated monthly instalments of approximately Rs 3,987 for 84 months, along with penal interest in case of default.
Nayak questioned the basis of the public claim of a 90 per cent subsidy and asked why farmers were burdened with loans exceeding Rs 2.5 lakh if such assistance had indeed been granted. He demanded clarity on the actual subsidy percentage and asked why it had not been transparently disclosed.
He further sought to know whether farmers were clearly informed that even after depositing 10 per cent as contribution, they would still incur substantial bank liabilities. He also questioned whether full payments had already been released to solar companies through banks and whether any role was played by intermediaries or commission agents in the process.
Calling for a reassessment of the loans imposed on farmers, Nayak asked whether the government would bear the remaining financial burden and when an independent judicial inquiry into the entire matter would be ordered.
He added that farmers in rural areas continue to struggle for 10 hours of uninterrupted electricity for irrigation, with several villages lacking regular domestic supply. In such circumstances, he said, the solar scheme should have offered relief but appeared instead to have turned into a loan-driven programme.
Nayak also questioned the silence of the Bharatiya Janata Party and its affiliated Kisan Morcha on the issue, asking whether their quiet stance amounted to tacit approval. He asserted that the State’s farmers seek transparency and that the Congress would continue to raise the matter until clear answers are provided.
