New Delhi: Hours after taking oath of office on Monday, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath cleared the proposal of waiving farm loans up to Rs 2 lakh. Besides, his Chhattisgarh counterpart Bhupesh Baghel has also announced a far loan waiver to fulfill the promise made by Congress president Rahul Gandhi ahead of assembly polls.

After Nath signed the relevant file, Rajesh Rajora, Principal Secretary, Farmers' Welfare and Agriculture Development Department, issued an order in this regard. The order stated, "Madhya Pradesh Government has taken a decision to write off short-term crop loan of eligible farmers up to the limit of Rs two lakh, as on March 31, 2018, from nationalised and cooperative banks."

While Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel said that his government will waive short-term agri loans of farmers. Baghel while addressing the press hours after taking oath as the CM further said that the minimum support price (MSP) for paddy has also been hiked to Rs 2500 from Rs 1700 per quintal.

Another important decision taken in the Cabinet was that a Special Investigation Team will be formed to probe the 2013 Jhiram valley Naxal attack in Bastar district, where 29 people, including senior Congress leaders, were killed, he added.

Three Congress chief ministers on Monday took oath of office in three previously BJP-ruled Hindi heartland states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhatisgarh with most of the opposition leaders present in the swearing-in ceremonies that also turned into a show of unity against the saffron party. Ashok Gehlot was the first one to administered oath as Rajasthan Chief Minister by Governor Kalyan Singh at the historic Albert Hall in Jaipur while state party chief Sachin Pilot was appointed as his deputy.

However, the swearing-in of 72-year old Kamal Nath as chief minister of Madhya Pradesh was held in the shadow of protests over his alleged role in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in which his party colleague Sajjan Kumar was convicted and given a lifer.

(With inputs from PTI)