Mumbai: A day after the Uttar Pradesh government announced a farm loan waiver, the Maharashtra government on Wednesday ordered a study on the U.P. model.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday informed the Assembly that he has instructed the finance secretary to carry out the study. The CM’s statement came amidst the demand from Shiv Sena and BJP legislators.
Mr. Fadnavis said there are 31 lakh farmers who need to be made creditworthy. “The study will find out where they would bring money and how they would raise the fund.”
The Chief Minister said the High Court would not need to direct the government on the farm loan waiver and the government is capable of it. “If the Central government fails to provide financial assistance, the State will firmly stand behind the farmers.”
Speaking to The Hindu , Congress leader Prihviraj Chavan said if a state like U.P., which has the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) of ₹12.37 lakh crore, can spare ₹36,359 crore for farmers, why can’t Maharahstra with ₹18.15 lakh crore GSDP earmark ₹30,000 crore towards loan waiver? “If the CM thinks the Opposition will take credit of the waiver, we want to assure him that we are ready to congratulate him publicly after he announces the decision. He should not bring politics in the welfare of farmers.”
Earlier, as soon as the Assembly began proceedings, Sena MLA Shambhuraj Desai said, “Our financial condition is better than that of U.P. Its Chief Minister did not wait for the Central government help.”
BJP MLAs Ashish Deshmukh, Sanjay Kute and Sena MLA Subhash Sabade raised the same demand.
Meanwhile, BJP MLA Prashant Bamb said, “I am of the firm view that the loan waiver must not be announced, but the money instead should be credited to the farmers’ account.”
