Shiv Sena corners CM over farmers' issues

Mumbai: The Shiv Sena cornered chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday in a Cabinet meeting over the implementation of the farm loan waiver scheme. Mr Fadnavis assured his government’s allies that the government had submitted a list of eligible farmers to the banks and farmers would benefit shortly.

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray has been attacking government fiercely over the loan waiver issue and his party’s leaders have been participating in the manifold anti-government agitations that have been taking place across the state. So, it was to no one’s surprise that Shiv Sena minister Subhash Desai and others pointed out this issue in the meeting. Mr Desai said, “We are with the farmers and are preparing lists of farmers who have not benefited from the loan waiver. The government declared lists, but money has not been deposited yet in their bank accounts.”

On November 25, Mr Thackeray had said aid that he would walk out from the state government if farmers’ issues are not resolved. The statement was made in Kolhapur on the first day of Mr Thackeray’s western Maharashtra tour.

“In an ideal state, farmers should use pesticides but here, we need to advise them to use the same carefully. Sadly, farmers are dying in Vidarbha but nobody seems sensitive enough,” he had said.