Even while accepting that loan waiver could be one of the measures to provide relief to distressed farmers, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis did not accept the Opposition demand for loan waiver. Instead, the chief minister said the government would be spending more than Rs 10,000 crore on various schemes to provide relief to the farmers and the amount was more than the Rs 7,000 loan waiver announced by the previous Congress-NCP government. The chief minister also claimed that while the loan waiver given by the previous government benefited banks, steps taken by his government would directly benefit farmers.
Explaining the steps taken by his government, Mr Fadnavis said that a special programme would be implemented in which Rs 10,512 crore will be spent. In this, Rs 7,412 crore will be spent on aid given to farmers in kind, including Rs 3,834 crore on crop insurance. The CM said that farmers from 14 drought-affected areas would be covered by crop insurance irrespective of whether they had opted for crop insurance or not.
The government will also spend Rs 1,000 crore on Jalayukta Shivar and Rs 250 crore on farm ponds this year. “We will provide farm ponds for whoever asks for it,” the CM said.
“Rs 750 crore will be spent on building 33,000 wells and Rs 1,000 crore will be given for infrastructure to provide electricity to these wells. Rs 200 per quintal will be given as compensation to food grain growers and the state will spend a total of Rs 100 crore on it,” he said.
During the discussion that went on for three days, several MLAs had sought loan waiver for farmers. However, the CM said that loan waiver cannot provide relief to all farmers. He also rejected the claim that loan waiver will stop farmer suicides. “Loan waiver was announced in 2009, but that did not stop suicides. In 2010, 1,400 farmers committed suicide. In Yavatmal district, 72 per cent do not get bank loans.,” the CM said.
The CM also said, “When your government announced loan waiver, banks recovered their money. Farmers did not get anything. Your government spent Rs 7,000 crore on loan waiver. We are spending Rs 10,512 crore and it will go directly to farmers.”
The opposition was not satisfied with the CM’s reply. Leader of Opposition said that there was no immediate relief announced by the CM. Subsequently, Congress and NCP legislators staged a walkout in protest.
Mr Khadse replied over the debate which was conducted for two days and in his reply, Mr Khadse announced the bundle of various schemes worth Rs 10,512 crore to the farmers.
In his reply, Mr Khadse said, ‘Complete waive off loan is not the only solution to give permanent relief to the farmers and hence instead of package, we have make actual provision to implement various schemes for farmers.’
Opposition leader in the council Dhananjay Munde raised objection to the reply of Mr Khadse.
Mr Munde said the BJP government was in favour of moneylenders and opponent of farmers. Congress and NCP members shouted slogans against the government and Ramraje Naik-Nimbalkar, chairman of the House adjourned the House till Thursday morning.
