Maharashtra relaxes loan waiver norms

Mumbai: The Maharashtra government on Tuesday relaxed parameters so that more farmers could benefit from the loan waiver announced by it.

This change in criteria by the state government followed a meeting with the farmers’ leaders. But the farmers’ committee continued to hold out for unconditional loan waiver and threatened to burn the government resolution on June 21.

Now farmers in government jobs drawing salaries more than Rs 20,000, those serving as president and vice president of cooperative committees, as well as those owning a vehicle costing more than Rs 10 lakh will not come under the purview of the waiver.

Others who will not be eligible include — ministers, former ministers, MPs, MLA, MLCs and  former MPs, MLAs, and MLCs; members of Zilla Parishads and Municipal Corporations; officials working in government and semi government bodies and teachers having an income of more than Rs 4 lakh per annum.

Also featuring in the non-beneficiaries category will be those filing income tax returns with income of Rs 4 lakh per annum.

Retired persons (except ex-servicemen) with monthly income of more than Rs 15,000, doctors, CAs, engineers and businessmen having an annual income of more than Rs 4 lakh are included in this category.

Presidents and vice presidents of cooperative sugar factories, cotton mills, district cooperative banks, milk federations, APMCs as well as those holding shops under the Mumbai Shops and Establishment Act with income of more than Rs 10 lakh.

The government will make the above changes in the Government Resolution (GR) issued last week. The GR can be further modified based on the demands by the farmers. “We have changed a few norms in the government resolution. Farmers who own tractors, dumpers and vehicles to transport agriculture produce are being considered in the loan waiver. A condition of Rs10 lakh has been fixed for that,” agriculture minister Pandurang Phundkar said.

The minister also confirmed that the loan waiver would be given considering June 30, 2016 as deadline. “We will be including farmers’ loans from 2012-13 till 2016. A good rainfall was received in 2017. Also, there will be cap of Rs 1 lakh for the loan waiver. We are still discussing the issue before finalising it,” Phundkar added.  Many farmers from Vidarbha would fall into the Rs 1 lakh condition, which will give them some relief.

However, Dr Ajit Nawale of Kisan Sabha said the farmers’ body has refused to accept the GR as the government has added so many conditions to it. “We want a complete loan waiver for the farmers. The farmers who are repaying loan on time have not been included in the loan waiver. The farmers’ loan till June 2016 has been considered. These conditions will keep away maximum farmers from receiving the benefit of the waiver. We are going to condemn the state’s decision and burn the GR tomorrow at every gram panchayat and tehsildar office,” Dr Nawale, who is convenor of the farmers committee, said.