Sena, Opposition to target CM on farmers’ issue

Mumbai: The opposition parties and the Shiv Sena will target chief minister Devendra Fadnavis over farmers’ issues, the Nanar green refinery project, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project, the Samruddhi Mahamarg and the law and order situation across the state in the Monsoon Session of the state legislature that will commence on Wednesday in Nagpur. The Opposition will also aggressively demand reservation for Marathas and Dhangars.

Agrarian issues such as problems with crop loan disbursement to farmers, issues surrounding the loan waiver scheme, minimum support price for the pulses and other goods will rock the Monsoon Session. Though the state government has given a loan waiver to more than 22 lakh farmers and spent more than `14,000 crore on it, banks are not ready to give new crop loans to these farmers for the ongoing kharif season.

Nationalised banks are not responding to the state government and have just disbursed nine per cent of the targeted loan. Mr Fadnavis had recently requested the Union finance minister to direct these banks to disburse loans immediately.

Farmer suicide figures have not reduced even a year since the loan waiver was implemented, posing a challenge to the government.