Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday continued to target the Maharashtra government over his farm loan waiver demand, saying the distressed farmers were yet to receive any financial assistance from it despite its claim of providing the "biggest" relief package.
Thackeray was interacting with farmers at Karajkheda village in the Dharashiv district of the state on the second day of his four-day tour of the Marathwada region to take stock of the difficulties they faced in the wake of heavy rains and floods this monsoon.
The former state chief minister will visit Bhusni and Thorlewadi villages in Latur and Pardi village in Nanded later in the day.
The Devendra Fadnavis-led government last month announced a Rs 31,628-crore relief package for farmers affected by the August-September deluge, which damaged crops over 68.7 lakh hectares across 29 districts. At that time, the CM termed the package an "unprecedented effort" by the government to stand firmly with every affected farmer in the time of crisis.
Thackeray alleged that the farmers have so far not received anything from the relief package declared by the government.
"Earlier, the ruling parties asked women about the benefits of the Ladki Bahin scheme they received. Now, why are they not asking the farmers about what they got (from the relief package)? It says they declared the biggest package for farmers. But now they are not asking anyone about it because the package was merely announced and the farmers have not received anything," he said.
"I will be the happiest man if the farmers get their compensation," he added.
Thackeray played an old audio clip wherein Fadnavis was heard saying that farmers' loans would be waived if the Mahayuti alliance comes to power.
Referring to it, the Sena (UBT) president said, "Leaders of the ruling parties say that I keep taunting. But is demanding a loan waiver as well as compensation of Rs 50,000 per hectare for farmers a taunt? Earlier, my government provided a loan waiver. But I never asked about the benefits of the schemes publicly."
In a veiled attack on Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, he said, "They say I stepped out of my house because of this reason (farmers' issues). But who are these people to question us, as they themselves keep going to Delhi to bow there for power? Our CM is neglecting farmers in the state and is going to Bihar." Responding to the ruling parties' criticism that he operated from home and via video conference during his tenure as CM, he said, "I sat at home but gave a loan waiver, brought Shiv Bhojan Thali, and many other schemes. But they need to check why the farmers are angry with them."
(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)
