BJP kept its CM out of loan waiver loop, says Prithviraj Chavan

Mumbai: Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis may be taking credit for the loan waiver given to farmers, but Congress leader and former CM Prithviraj Chavan has alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party leadership had not kept its own CM (Mr Fadnavis) in the loop on the loan waiver decision. 

Mr Chavan claimed the opposition's Sangharsh Yatra and farmers agitation forced the government to announce the loan waiver. “After the situation was intensified, there was a message from Delhi that the strike should end. Then they (government) bypassed the CM (Mr Fadnavis) and revenue minister Chandrakant Patil without consulting the CM announced the Rs 34,000 crore loan waiver. Even the finance minister was not consulted,” Mr Chavan said. 

The BJP termed Mr Chavan's allegations as 'frustration'. “The statements by Chavan seem to have come out of frustration. It is misguiding. In fact, the opposition led the Sangharsh Yatra when they realised that the state government was going to announce the loan waiver. Also, Chandrakant Patil was made chief of a group of cabinet ministers for the loan waiver. It is obvious that he would announce the loan waiver,” said BJP spokesperson Madhav Bhandari said.  

Mr Chavan reminded how Mr Fadnavis was initially against the loan waiver, but the situation changed after Delhi intervened. 

“Earlier, they said 89 lakh farmers would benefit. Now they are saying 58 lakh farmers. It is a loan waiver scam and the government cannot blames banks for it. The dates of disbursement of funds kept on changing. Our main objection was why the farmers were forced to fill the forms online?" he said. 

Recalling loan waiver during Congress-NCP regime, Mr Chavan said that his government never followed such online activity. "The banks have all the records and if they do not then the entire banking system will collapse. It is fine to collect data but then do not put deadline for the farmers. What was the need of 66 column form?" Mr Chavan asked.