2 min readSep 12, 2017 04:56 AM IST
First published on: Sep 12, 2017 at 04:55 AM IST
(Express photo by Nirmal Harindran)
The Shiv Sena on Monday held protests in several districts across the state to press for immediate implementation of the state government’s agricultural loan waiver scheme. The Sena, a partner in the state government, has sought farm loan waiver implementation by Dussehra. A delegation of Sena ministers also met the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on the issue.
Sena leaders said it has been almost three months since the loan waiver was announced, but farmers are yet to get benefits. The farmers have been facing technical challenges including filling out an online application form for the waiver. While the farm loan waiver implementation is yet to begin, the banks have also not disbursed loans for Kharif season, said a memorandum by Sena ministers to Fadnavis.
It said many farmers are facing issues with the online system. “The state government has announced September 15 as the last day for filling forms online. In the remaining five days, the state government must ensure that all the forms of eligible farmers are filled and not a single farmer is deprived of the scheme,” it added.
“Despite the loan waiver announcement, farmers are continuing to commit suicide. We insisted on the immediate implementation of the farm loan waiver scheme. Rather than waiting till Diwali, farmer suicides may stop if the waiver happens before that,” said Environment Minister Ramdas Kadam who was in the delegation that met Fadnavis.
Kadam said that Fadnavis has promised that the disbursement would start from the first week of October. “As there is no opposition party in the state, we have been forced to play the role of the Opposition. If there are any public issues, we will be there to play our role,” he added.
(Express photo by Nirmal Harindran)
Share
