NCP to hit to street if decision is not made in a fortnight
Mumbai : The decision regarding farm loan waiver would soon be made, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis assured the delegation under the leadership of NCP president Sharad Pawar here on Tuesday. The NCP leader has warned the government to hit the street if decision is not made in a couple of weeks.
Talking to reporters after meeting the Pawar-led delegation, the chief minister said, “I informed them that the State government has made a provision of Rs 700 crore for the crop insurance amount from its contingency fund.”
“The delegation sought information on crop insurance amount for farmers. I gave the information. We are giving an unprecedented Rs 1,600 crore insurance to farmers,” he said.
“The largest amount of crop insurance, Rs 350 crore, is being given in Beed district,” Fadnavis said.
“I also informed them that we have decided to reschedule all loans by June 15 instead of the usual deadline of June 30. The rescheduling is for a term of five years instead of three years and for the first year, no interest is payable,” he said.
“Earlier, the rate of rescheduled loans was 12 per cent but we have decided to levy only six per cent interest,” Fadnavis said.
Soon after the meeting, NCP leaders announced they will take to the streets against the BJP-led government in the state if it failed to help distressed farmers.
“We have submitted a list of grievances of the common man and farmers in Marathwada to the chief minister. The government has failed to deliver in the last five six months. Farmers want money for sowing operations. They don’t have a single penny as there is drought in the region in last three years,” Leader of Opposition in Legislative Council Dhananjay Munde told reporters.
Loan waiver is no permanent solution: Khadse
Meanwhile, agriculture minister Eknath Khadse said on Tuesday that waiving loans of farmers affected by natural calamities such as drought is not a ‘permanent’ solution to the agrarian crisis. “(The then union agriculture minister) Sharad Pawar implemented a loan waiver scheme during his tenure… has it helped mitigate problems of farmers?” Khadse said while replying to questions on Pawar’s meeting with the Chief Minister.
