A Congress-NCP delegation on Thursday met governor C. Vidyasagar Rao and urged him to direct the government to waive off loans of distressed farmers.
The state government has not announced the loan waiver even after the Opposition stalled the proceedings of state legislature in the first week of the Winter Session in Nagpur and three days of debate this week.
Therefore, a delegation comprising leader of Opposition in Assembly Radha Krishna Vikhe-Patil and Opposition leader in State Council Dhananjay Munde, along with former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, former deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, Chhagan Bhujbal, Sunil Tatkare (both NCP), Manikrao Thakre, Patangrao Kadam, Sanjay Dutt, Satish Chavan and Sharad Ranpise (all Congress) met the governor at his camp residence Raj Bhavan, Nagpur in the afternoon and submitted a memorandum.
The memorandum urged the governor to take the initiative in the issue since the government has “not done justice” to farmers. “We have requested the governor to give orders to the government to announce loan waiver,” Mr Vikhe-Patil said.
The memorandum claimed the drought situation in Maharashtra was worse than in 1972, which is considered to be the worst drought in Maharashtra ever. “There was an acute shortage of drinking water and as many as 852 tankers were supplying water to 17 worst drought-hit districts. The farmers expected complete loan waiver but are greatly disappointed by the BJP-Sena government,” the memorandum said.
