Maharashtra: Opposition leaders meet governor, Shiv Sena reaches CM home over farm loan waiver

While the Congress-NCP leaders met Governor C Vidhyasagar Rao to demand a special three-day session to discuss the loan waiver, Sena ministers met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis with the same plea.

Both the Opposition and Sena’s demands coincided with the Cabinet decision to convene a special session of the state legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council to discuss and bring amendments in the Goods and Services Act. The three-day session will be held between May 20 and 22.

The leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, said: “The Congress and NCP leaders urged the governor to direct the government to convene a special session to provide farm loan waiver to the farmers. The Shiv Sena is trying score points against the Opposition to show false concern for farmers. If they are so worried about farmers, they should have resigned from the BJP government. Or, at least forced the BJP government to concede to the farm loan waiver demand in the cabinet.”

He said the Sena had adopted double standards — enjoying power in the government and raking up the farm loan waiver issue for public posturing to undermine the Opposition.

Asked about the meeting with the chief minister, a senior Sena minister requesting anonymity said: “We met the chief minister to discuss procurement of tur dal (pulses) from farmers. We also urged the chief minister to provide relief to farmers with some financial incentives as we understand that the Rs 30,500 crore waiver is not the solution.”

The minister said: “The Congress-NCP have no business questioning our integrity. The agricultural crisis is an outcome of their wrong policies and corruption in the irrigation sector.”

The Congress-NCP that sought a special three-day session to debate the farm loan waiver issue had no explanation as to why the parties did not participate in the discussions related to the matter during the budget session held between March and April.

A senior BJP minister said: “The five week-long budget session provided a golden opportunity to the Congress-NCP to debate the farm loan waiver issue. Yet, they chose to stay away.”

Both the Assembly and the council held debates on the issue and the state has given its reply on the matter.

Explaining the government’s position, the BJP minister said: “Last week, Fadnavis launched a programme ‘Unnat sheti and samruddha shetkari’ to make higher capital investments in agriculture and double farm income. Budget 2017-18 has provided Rs 19,000 crore capital investments.” He added that a sub-committee led by the additional chief secretary, finance, officials from agriculture and water conservation departments, NABARD and RBI were working to incorporate all 32 lakh farmers of the state in the institutional crop loan credit bracket. Fadnavis has promised a slew of incentives to help small and marginal farmers with land holding less than 2 hectares, he said.

Protest by farmers’ body

A group of people representing the Baliraj Shetkari Sanghatana on Tuesday protested at the state government headquarters, Mantralaya, demanding complete loan waiver for farmers.

Led by the chief of the organisation, Sanjay Patil Ghatnekar, the agitators demonstrated at the Mantralaya gates by throwing onions and tur dal on the road.