Mumbai: Amidst criticism by BJP and farmers' organisations on the crop loan waiver up to Rs 2 lakh, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday asked the district central cooperative banks and commercial banks to prepare a time-bound plan for its effective implementation and maintain proper cooperation with the departments of Revenue and Cooperation.
Thackeray, who was accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and Finance Minister Jayant Patil, asked the commercial banks to take a haircut in the principal amount and waive the interest to provide further relief to the farmers who are in financial distress.
Thackeray asked banks to complete the process with regard to loan waiver up to Rs 2 lakh so that the farmers will be entitled to a fresh loan for the Kharif season beginning June 2020.
The loan waiver scheme named after a social reformer Mahatma Jyotirao Phule will cover 30.57 lakh farmers with an outgo of Rs 21, 216 crore.
Thackeray on Friday held marathon meetings with the representatives of the district central cooperative banks and the members of the state-level bankers committee to streamline the implementation.
Thackeray has asked banks to appoint district-wise nodal officers and send mobile or telephonic messages to farmers whose accounts are not yet linked to Aadhar card.
The government has clarified that farmers who have taken up to Rs 2 lakh crop loan up till September 30, 2019 will be covered but their accounts should be linked to Aadhar.
The government has extended up to January 7 the date for farmers to get their accounts linked to Aadhar card to avail the waiver.
The CM further asked banks not to charge interest on short-term loan of Rs 2 lakh after September 30, 2019 till the farmers benefit from the crop loan waiver.
