Photo: MintAhmedabad: After the newly elected Congress-led governments in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh announced farm loan waivers, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Gujarat government on Tuesday said that it too will write off pending electricity bills of ₹625 crore. Power would be restored for consumers who pay ₹500 toward their pending electricity bills, he said in Gandhinagar on Tuesday. Farm distress has been a major issue in Gujarat with Patidar leader Hardik Patel and the Congress demanding a waiver. During the 2017 state assembly elections, the Congress promised to waive farm loans in Gujarat if voted to power. Among the reasons for the fall in the BJP’s seat tally from 115 to 99 in Gujarat assembly elections was farm and rural distress.

Source: Mint December 18, 2018 18:45 UTC