Bhopal, Aug 20 — Veteran Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh on Thursday wrote to Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, urging him to ensure that mortgage entries are removed from the land records of farmers who have cleared loans taken from the now-defunct Bhumi Vikas Bank.
Citing examples, Singh said that continued mention of mortgage on land records was causing difficulties for farmers even after they had repaid their loans or deposited the amount required under settlement arrangements.
"The land of many farmers is still shown as mortgaged in the revenue records despite the bank being closed and under liquidation," he noted in his letter.
The Madhya Pradesh Rajya Sahakari Krishi Evam Gramin Vikas Bank, popularly known as the Bhumi Vikas Bank, had provided long-term agricultural loans to farmers against the mortgage of their land.
The bank has since been closed and is under liquidation, Singh wrote.
The veteran Congress leader also shared that farmers whose dues had been cleared were still facing problems in selling their land, getting mutation done, partitioning property and carrying out other land-related transactions because the old mortgage entries remained in official records.
He said that the matter had been brought to his notice through an email from Kedar Sirohi, a former member of the Madhya Pradesh Krishi Salahkar Parishad and a resident of Harda.
Singh urged Chief Minister Yadav to direct officials of the Cooperative and Revenue departments to identify eligible farmers and ensure that their mortgaged land was released at the earliest.
"My request is that you give necessary directions to the concerned officers of the Cooperative and Revenue departments to ensure early release of mortgaged land of eligible farmers and necessary correction in revenue records and on the MP Bhulekh portal," he wrote.
The Congress leader also sought correction of the relevant entries on the MP Bhulekh portal after the mortgage was removed from the revenue records.
The issue affects farmers who had taken long-term agricultural loans from the cooperative bank and subsequently cleared their liabilities.
Despite repayment, some mortgage entries have continued to remain in land records, creating administrative hurdles for property-related transactions.
Singh's letter seeks a coordinated process between the Cooperative and Revenue departments to verify such cases and update the records so that eligible farmers can use and transact in their land without further difficulties.