Shinde Declares Loan Waiver to 6.56 Lakh Farmers

Mumbai: Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde on Monday announced a slew of measures to provide relief to farmers who are affected by unseasonal rains and hailstorm in the state. A loan waiver of will be given to 6.56 lakh farmers, who were deprived due to software glitches and a task force will be reestablished in the state to prevent suicides of farmers, he said on Monday.

Replying to the debate on the plight of farmers due to unseasonal rains in Vidhan Sabha during the winter session of the State Legislature, Shinde said that a record aid of Rs 44,278 crore has been provided to state farmers through various welfare schemes in the last one and half years.

Under the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Shetkari Sanman Yojana, 44 lakh farmers were given a loan waiver of Rs 18,762 crore. But 6.56 lakh farmers were deprived of loan waiver due to software glitches. They all will now be given loan waiver, said the CM.

“The task force will work towards suggesting measures to prevent farmers’ suicides, to increase the agriculture production and to develop a model which will prevent agriculture losses during unseasonal rains. It will also work towards developing the agro tourism,” said Shinde.

Last month, unseasonal rain, lightning and hailstorms lashed parts of northern and western Maharashtra and Konkan, Vidabha, and Marathwada regions damaging the rabi crops ready for harvest.

In northern Maharashtra, grape, onion, tomatoes, leafy vegetables cultivation were hit, whereas the unseasonal rain affected mango and cashew farming in the Konkan region. In the Vidarbha and Marathwada regions, the untimely rain affected cotton and cereals.

“Crops on 9.75 lakh hectares have been damaged as per primary estimates. We will be paying Rs 2000 crore to farmers,” Shinde said in the House.