Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced "the biggest ever" farm loan waiver in the state on Saturday, June 3, after farmers took to protesting against the state government on June 1 by spilling milk on the roads and destroying vegetables. However, the chief minister's assurance of waiving debt worth Rs 30,000 crore did not have any impact on the protesting farmers.
After representatives of the Kisan Kranti said that farmers from Nashik, Ahmednagar, western Maharashtra and Vidarbha will continue to protest, Fadnavis said that "some people are trying to create anarchy in the state by using farmers."
"We have agreed to most of the demands. Some people's agenda is set. They want to create a situation of anarchy in the state and so they do not want the strike to end," the CM said, without naming the opposition parties -- Congress and NCP.
Fadnavis said that this first-ever complete loan waiver in India will come into force by October 31. Though the loan waiver will be restricted to small and marginal farmers with land holdings of five acres, it will reportedly benefit 40 lakh farmers.
"We are working to fulfil Munde's dream of serving the poor. We have announced the biggest-ever loan waiver to give relief to distressed farmers," Fadnavis said in a late evening tweet.
"Of the state's 1.36 crore farmers, 31 lakh have not been able to access crop loans since 2012. Restructuring of loans for this segment was not permissible, therefore, the only way forward was to write-off their loans," the Maharashtra CM added.
A committee will also be appointed to look into the modalities of the loan waiver scheme. The waiver is expected to create a considerable dent in the state's finances, which is already burdened by a public debt of close to Rs 4 lakh crore.
