Maharashtra govt mulls another farm loan waiver

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Shiv Kumar
Tribune News Service
Mumbai, May 22

The Devendra Fadnavis government is likely to roll out another farm loan waiver in Maharashtra in the coming weeks in the wake of feedback received from members of the ruling BJP who campaigned for the Lok Sabha polls in the interiors of the state.

”There is a demand for a blanket farm loan waiver for all sections of farmers across Maharashtra,” state BJP president Raosaheb Danve said.

While Danve was in favour of waiving all farmers’ loans due to the severe drought across the state, Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar was more circumspect.

“The government does not want rich farmers like Sharad Pawar to benefit from farm loan waiver. Only those who deserve it should have their loans waived,” Mungantiwar told reporters after a review meeting conducted by the BJP on Tuesday.

According to party sources, BJP leaders were taken to task for the slow rollout of the farm loan waiver announced in 2017. Though loans of Rs 34,000 crore were to be waived, many deserving farmers told BJP leaders that they were denied the benefit.

BJP leaders felt that the Fadnavis government could end up in serious trouble in the forthcoming assembly elections in October because of the agrarian crisis.

Sources say the state government will have to make fresh budgetary provisions in order to come up with another farm loan waiver.

As per the farm loan waiver scheme announced two years ago, agricultural loans of Rs 1.5 lakh per family were to be waived. However, owners of large tracts of farm lands and those employed with government undertakings were not eligible for the waiver. Also, applicants had to apply for the waiver online using their Aadhaar cards which, according to opposition leaders, led to a lot of hassles.