In a major relief to nearly 21 lakh drought-hit farmers across the State, the Maharashtra Government on Tuesday decided to re-schedule crop loans amounting to a total of Rs11,000 crore taken by them during Kharif 2014, 2015 and also between 2012 and 2014 and to extend the deadline for repayment of first instalment of 2014 Kharif crop loans by one year.
At its weekly State Cabinet meeting, the Devendra Fadnavis Government also decided to bear the financial burden of Rs1,272 crore arising out of the interest to be paid to various banks owing to the re-rescheduling of crop loans amounting to Rs6,000 each taken by 11.35 lakh farmers during 2014-15.
“The State Government will pay the entire quantum of interest for the first year and also bear expenditure arising out of the interest to be charged by banks at the rate of 6 per cent per annum from 2017-18 to 2020-21. The total interest is estimated to be around Rs1,272 crore” an official spokesperson said.
In another major initiative, the State Government decided to reschedule the 2014 Kharif crop loans amounting to
Rs3,503 crore. “The first instalment of loan repayment due in June 3016 amounts to Rs700 crore. If the farmers concerned repay to the tune of Rs300 crore, the State Government has decided to extend the deadline of repayment till June 2017. The State Government will pay Rs36 crore arising out of the re-scheduling of the 2014 Kharif loans by one year. This decision will benefit 5.33 lakh farmers,” the spokesperson said.
After taking stock of the distress caused among the farmers in the State because of the severe drought that has been prevailing in the state for the third consecutive year, the State Cabinet also decided to write to the Reserve Bank of India seeking permission as a special case to re-schedule the crop loans amounting to
Rs2,436.96 crore taken by 4.42 lakh farmers.
“As many as 21 lakh farmers will benefit because of the three decisions by the State Government today. In all, crop loans amounting to a total of Rs11,000 crore are being re-scheduled,” the spokesperson added.
Meanwhile, statistics released by the State Government revealed that various dams across had a mere 17 per cent storage of water, as against 29 per cent of water storage that existed around this time last year. Of the region-wise storage percentage, the worst drought-hit Marathwada accounts for a meagre 11 per cent. The storage percentages in other regions and divisions were: Konkan 44 per cent, Nagpur division 25 per cent, Amravati 17 per cent, Nashik 15 per cent and Pune 18 per cent.
According to official sources, the State Government is currently supplying water to 3586 villages and 5993 hamlets by way of as many as 4640 tankers.