Over 6.5 lakh farmers in Maharashtra yet to receive 2017 loan waiver benefits
Announcement comes amid growing calls for an immediate crop loan waiver, following heavy rains and floods that have caused extensive crop losses
Nearly 6.56 lakh farmers in Maharashtra, found eligible under the 2017 Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Shetkari Sanman Yojana, have still not received their loan waiver benefits, the state government has revealed. The disclosure comes almost eight years after the scheme was announced.
State sooperation minister Babasaheb Patil informed the Assembly on Thursday in response to questions raised by Shiv Sena (UBT) legislator Bhaskar Jadhav and others regarding the government’s handling of farmers’ welfare.
Patil highlighted that implementing the scheme for the remaining eligible farmers would require around Rs 5,975.51 crore. However, the state has allocated only Rs 500 crore through supplementary demands, leaving a significant gap in funding.
The Minister also noted that the Bombay High Court had directed the government to extend benefits to all eligible farmers, but the current allocation falls far short of the required amount, suggesting continued non-compliance with the court order.
The announcement comes amid growing calls for an immediate crop loan waiver, following heavy rains and floods that have caused extensive crop losses across the state. Farmers’ organisations and opposition parties have criticised the government’s recent Rs 32,000-crore relief package as “grossly inadequate,” arguing that the situation underscores the urgency of implementing a comprehensive loan waiver.
Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has maintained that the government is committed to launching a crop loan waiver. He said a high-level committee had been formed to examine the waiver scheme and recommend measures to make farmers debt-free. Fadnavis also announced plans to implement the waiver by 30 June this year.
Despite these assurances, opposition parties have accused the MahaYuti government of delaying the crop loan waiver and failing to address the agrarian crisis, linking the inaction to rising cases of farmers’ suicides in the state.
With IANS inputs