Chandigarh — The winter session cast an intense spotlight on issues confronting Haryana’s agrarian economy, particularly the spiralling debt among farming households. Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini’s detailed presentation of loan figures underscored the gravity of the crisis: more than 25 lakh farmers are grappling with an outstanding agricultural loan burden exceeding ₹60,000 crore. This disclosure became the focal point of heated exchanges and policy discussions in the assembly on 19 December 2025.
The assembly debate revealed a schism within the political discourse on how best to assist farmers. Opposition members questioned the adequacy of existing relief schemes and accused the government of procrastination in implementing targeted reforms. They pointed to rural distress indicators such as rising input costs, declining net returns from key crops, and uneven access to credit facilities as factors aggravating farm household vulnerability.
In response, the Chief Minister outlined a multi-pronged approach to alleviate debt pressure. Central to this strategy are interest subsidy mechanisms for cooperative loans and structured One-Time Settlement (OTS) schemes with extended windows for debt resolution. These measures, he asserted, are designed to cushion farmers against cyclical financial shocks and create space for investment in productivity-enhancing technologies.
The ministerial brief also touched upon complementary initiatives, including crop diversification incentives, expanded crop insurance coverage, and targeted support for small and marginal farmers. Government officials argue that such interventions are essential not just for debt mitigation but also for long-term sustainability of Haryana’s predominantly agrarian economy.
Yet critics within the assembly voiced deep skepticism. They suggested that debt relief without parallel investment in market linkages, guaranteed procurement reforms, and soil resource management may offer only temporary respite. They also called for greater transparency regarding criteria for loan relief eligibility and urged systematic tracking of programme outcomes.
Beyond the immediate financial metrics, the farm debate resonated with broader concerns about rural livelihoods and political accountability. Lawmakers from farming constituencies shared district-level insights on how indebtedness intersects with youth migration, uncertain monsoon patterns, and rural employment deficits. For many observers, the assembly’s intense focus on agriculture on 19 December reflects an acknowledgment that the crisis extends beyond economics into the social fabric of rural communities across Haryana.
