Facing severe criticism for not helping out farmers affected by natural calamities, the Maharashtra government on Friday waived Rs. 171 crore in loans granted to 2.23 lakh farmers in Marathwada and Vidarbha.
The decision, announced by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in the Assembly, applies to only those who have taken loans from legal lenders. “Taking loan from private moneylenders is seen as the main reason for suicide among farmers, especially in Marathwada and Vidarbha, a point underscored by the Adarsh Mishra Committee, set up by the Union government,” he said.
Mr. Fadnavis said the waiver announced in 2008 and 2009 had benefited only those who had taken bank loans. Hence, “…we have decided to waive loans taken from private lenders who hold permit to lend.”
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The government gives Rs. 1 lakh to the family of a farmer which commits suicide. According to the figures submitted in the Assembly, in January this year alone, 28 farmers committed suicide in the Nagpur division and 78 in the Amaravati division, both in the Vidarbha region. Around 56 farmers ended their lives in the Aurangabad division in Marathwada.