Corporate Loan Write-Offs Dwarf Farm Relief: Government Data Reveals Stark Disparity
Recent disclosures by the Central government have unveiled a significant imbalance in loan write-offs between corporate entities and the agricultural sector. According to official figures, loans worth a staggering Rs 9.87 lakh crore owed by large corporate houses were written off between 2014 and September 30, 2025. In stark contrast, the agriculture and allied sectors received relief of only Rs 1.67 lakh crore during the same period.
Percentage Breakdown Highlights Corporate Dominance
In percentage terms, the disparity becomes even more pronounced. Corporate write-offs account for nearly 85.5 per cent of the total loan write-offs, while farmers have received barely 14.5 per cent. This data emerged in response to a question raised in the Rajya Sabha by environmentalist and Member of Parliament Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal.
The government breakdown shows that out of the total corporate write-offs, Rs 7.21 lakh crore pertained to large industrial loans, while more than Rs 2.65 lakh crore was written off in favour of big business entities under various banking provisions. Meanwhile, loan write-offs for agriculture and allied activities remained minimal despite repeated agrarian distress, crop failures, extreme weather events, and stagnant farm incomes.
MP Questions Government's 'Write-off' Versus 'Waiver' Distinction
Reacting to the data, Sant Seechewal criticized the government's attempt to differentiate between loan write-offs and loan waivers as misleading and designed to confuse the public. He argued that when corporates fail to repay loans worth thousands of crores, the amounts are quietly written off in the name of policy, but when farmers fall into debt due to adverse weather, crop losses, and absence of Minimum Support Price, they are denied loan waivers and subjected to endless conditions.
In practical terms, write-offs offer real financial relief to the corporates, while farmers remain trapped in debt with no permanent policy support, Seechewal emphasized during the parliamentary session.
Questioning Economic Priorities and Double Standards
The MP questioned the double standards adopted by banks and policymakers, asking why institutions capable of granting massive relief to corporate borrowers refuse to extend similar compassion to farmers. Does the country's economy survive only on the corporates and not on the farmers who feed the nation? he challenged.
Seechewal reminded the House and the public that during the COVID-19 pandemic, when industries and businesses were shut down, it was the farming sector that ensured food security and rural employment across the country.
Farmers in Distress: Vanishing Data on Suicides
Despite their crucial contribution, Seechewal noted that farmers are continuously being pushed towards distress and suicide under mounting debt. He pointed out that the government has stopped maintaining official data on farmer suicides, further marginalizing the agrarian crisis.
The MP demanded an end to what he described as dual economic standards, where corporates receive policy protection while farmers are left to fend for themselves.
Parliamentary Record Raises Unanswered Questions
During the Winter Session of Parliament, Seechewal had also questioned the Union Agriculture Minister on farmer suicides and the denial of Minimum Support Price. No satisfactory response was given. Instead, the minister's remarks questioning the need to maintain such data cast doubts on farmer suicides and appeared to unfairly target the conduct of debt-ridden farmers.
The figures raise uncomfortable questions about who India's economic policies are designed to protect — and who they leave behind, concluded Seechewal, highlighting the need for a more balanced approach to financial relief across sectors.
