Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced that his Government would unveil the “biggest-ever” loan waiver package for the needy farmers in the State before October 31, even as the farmers’ agitation entered the sixth day on Tuesday.
“We have decided to waive the loans of needy farmers. The farm waiver that we intend to announce before October 31 will be the biggest-ever. That’s we have bought four months’ time to study the various aspects of the loan waiver. We will be using information technology to ensure against a possible scam in the loan waiver process,” Fadnavis said.
Talking to media persons along with Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu, Fadnavis hit out at the Opposition parties for having incited violence during the “Maharashtra bandh” called by the farmers on Monday.
“Not many farmers joined the Maharashtra bandh yesterday. But, the maximum people who participated in the bandh belonged to different political parties. We have the names of all the political leaders who engineered rasta rokos, stone throwing and arson during the bandh. The political parties are training their guns at the State Government, by hiding behind the agitating farmers,” Fadnavis said.
Alluding to the impact of the “Maharashtra bandh” on various activities, Fadnavis said: “Of the total 307 APMCs, 300 functioned on the bandh day. Of the remaining seven APMCs, four had weekly holiday”.
The Chief Minister said that the State Government was prepared to hold talks with the agitating farmer leaders on their various demands. “It is okay with us if those who have real concern for the farmers’ issues, criticise us. And we are prepared to hold talks with farmer leaders on their demands. But, we will not hold talks with such leaders who are firing at us using the shoulders of the agitating farmers,” Fadnavis said.
Fadnavis’ remarks came on a day when NCP President former Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi and took up the farmers’ issues and made a strong case for the total farm loan waiver in Maharashtra.
Among other things, the agitating farmers are demanding farm loan waiver, remunerative prices for their produce and pension for them after 60 years of age.
Naidu, who was also present at the news conference, had a dig at the ruling Shiv Sena and Raju Shetti-led Swabhimani Shetkari Sangathana (SSS), when he said: “Instead of joining the farmers’ agitation, some of our allies should work with the state government to find a solution to the problems faced by farmers”.
Naidu said that though the governments of Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana had announced farm loan waiver, the case with Maharashtra was something different. “We have to consider the state’s financial situation, before deciding on the farm loan waiver which has long-term implications on the state’s economy. All the same, we will try to do as much as we can for the farmers in the state in the coming months,” the Union Minister said.