Shiv Sena MLAs protest against the BJP government on farmer's issues outside the Assembly (Photo: Rajesh Jadhav)

Mumbai: State finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar on Thursday said that the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government is ready to for farmer loan waiver but not waiver of debts of banks. It may be mentioned here that most of these banks have directors from the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Mr Mungantiwar alleged that the Opposition leaders for their own benefit are raising the loan waiver issue. The government further claimed that they are working on steps that will benefit the farmers including better irrigation facilities so that they do not rely on loans. The opposition lambasted Mr Mungantiwar claiming that it was nothing but an insult of the farmers as it’s they who select the bank directors. Both the houses were adjourned on Friday over the issue of loan waiver for farmer.

During the session, leader of opposition in the lower house Dhananjay Munde claimed that the farm production this year has gone up but the rates offered to farmers has affected them adversely. Shiv Sena MLC Neelam Gorhe too claimed that her party wants a complete waiver for the loans taken by farmer. On Thursday when house started, the BJP and Sena too demanded loan waivers for farmers. Several BJP members walked to the chair of assembly speaker. Looking at BJP’s attempt to hijack the issue, Congress and NCP members directly rushed to well and started sloganeering against the government.

Following the chaos, the chairman of the lower house asked the finance minister to give his reply. Mungatiwar said, “The government is serious about the welfare of the farmers, but the government wants to make farmer self-sufficient by providing them better irrigation and other facilities However, the house is being disrupted because the loan waiver is being asked for the banks, of which most directors are from the Congress and NCP.”

Taking objection to this, former chief minister and Congress MLA Prithvriaj Chavan said, “By making such statements the government is insulting the farmers who had selected or elected the directors of these banks.” Mr Munde claimed that they will not let the house function unless the government doesn’t take a decision on the loan waiver. Sena and BJP members sat separately on stairs of the Vidhan Bhavan agitating for loan waiver. BJP MLA Kisan Kathore on how his party changed stand on issue overnight said, “Those were earlier demanding loan waiver are representative of banks, but we want real farmers to get compensation.”