Kishore Tiwari seeks loan waiver extension

Mumbai: Kishore Tiwari, chairman of the Vasantrao Naik Shetkari Swavalamban Mission (VNSSM), a state government agency related to farming, has demanded that the scope of the loan waiver scheme, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Shetkari Samman Yojana, be extended from March 30, 2016 to March 30, 2019.

In his letter to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, Mr Tiwari demanded that the cut-off date be extended as farmers were not getting good prices for their produce owing to a world recession in farm produce, not to mention the impact of the drought on farmers in the state.

In the last four months alone, 800 debt-ridden farmers of Vidarbha and Marathawada had committed suicide.

The chairman of the VNSSM urged the chief minister that those farmers, who had not received the benefit of the loan waiver scheme owing to terms and conditions, be given the benefit of crop loans. Reason being 14 districts of Marathwada and Vidarbha had been witnessing drought this year, continuous non-production in the farming sector, and prediction of less rain by the Indian Meteorological Departm-ent which had further worsened the condition of farmers in drought-hit areas.   

Mr Tiwari, who has given a report to the CM about harassment of farmers at the hands of banks, said that the arrogant banks in the name of crop loans had been harassing farmers at an extreme level. The Union finance ministry officials had shielded the bank officials which is why they needed to be told to behave appropriately. If the government did not interfere, lakhs of farmers, who had been witnessing financial crisis, would not be able to get  crop loan, leading to increased possibility of their committing suicide. Earlier, Mr Tiwari directed all banks to make available 100 per cent loans to farmers by June 15 for the Kharif season.

Kishore Tiwari, chairman of the Vasantrao Naik Shetkari Swavalamban Mission (VNSSM), a state government agency related to farming, has demanded that the scope of the loan waiver scheme, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Shetkari Samman Yojana, be extended from March 30, 2016 to March 30, 2019.

In his letter to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, Mr Tiwari demanded that the cut-off date be extended as farmers were not getting good prices for their produce owing to a world recession in farm produce, not to mention the impact of the drought on farmers in the state.

In the last four months alone, 800 debt-ridden farmers of Vidarbha and Marathawada had committed suicide.

The chairman of the VNSSM urged the chief minister that those farmers, who had not received the benefit of the loan waiver scheme owing to terms and conditions, be given the benefit of crop loans. Reason being 14 districts of Marathwada and Vidarbha had been witnessing drought this year, continuous non-production in the farming sector, and prediction of less rain by the Indian Meteorological Departm-ent which had further worsened the condition of farmers in drought-hit areas.   

Mr Tiwari, who has given a report to the CM about harassment of farmers at the hands of banks, said that the arrogant banks in the name of crop loans had been harassing farmers at an extreme level. The Union finance ministry officials had shielded the bank officials which is why they needed to be told to behave appropriately. If the government did not interfere, lakhs of farmers, who had been witnessing financial crisis, would not be able to get  crop loan, leading to increased possibility of their committing suicide. Earlier, Mr Tiwari directed all banks to make available 100 per cent loans to farmers by June 15 for the Kharif season.