State assures fresh loans for 11L farmers who didn’t get waiver
Although the state government has coined 2020 as ‘productivity year’ by setting a higher target for agriculture production to give a helping hand to the economy, 11.12 lakh farmers are yet to get the benefit of loan waiver announced by the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.
The state has directed district banks to offer them fresh credit. However, these farmers are not eligible for fresh loans for the ensuing kharif season in June, as they already have outstanding loans and banks need directives from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to release the amount.
During the marathon review meeting on Thursday, this issue was discussed. Besides chief minister (CM) Uddhav Thackeray and his deputy Ajit Pawar, many senior ministers including agriculture minister Dada Bhuse, health minister Rajesh Tope and home minister Anil Deshmukh attended the meeting through video conferencing.
Pawar, while admitting that the state government could not release ~ 8,100 crore towards the loan waiver to the remaining 11.12 lakh eligible farmers, assured them fresh loans. “We have deposited ~12,000 crore in the loan accounts of 19 lakh farmers under the loan waiver scheme,” he said.
The cooperation department has directed the district banks to consider the farmers whose loan has not yet been waived off as eligible for the fresh loan. The state government has already requested the Centre for directives from RBI to give loans to such farmers.
The government has set the target of crop loan of ~44,000 crore by commercial and district banks.
CM Thackeray said that the farmers in the state can play an important role in bringing the economy out of the crisis in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. “The farmers should consider changing the crop pattern amid the pandemic. Maharashtra farmers have the capacity of producing food grains that can feed the entire country. They should put in efforts in exporting their produce,” he said.
The tehsildar of Palghar, Sunil Shinde, is under investigation after a video clip was shared on social media of him allegedly kicking and abusing a migrant worker on Wednesday afternoon.
State revenue minister Balasaheb Thorat has ordered a probe into the incident.
Around 5,200 migrants had assembled at the Aryan Grounds to collect their tokens to board the three trains scheduled to depart from Palghar to north India.
In the video, which has since gone viral, Shinde is seen kicking and abusing a migrant who asked him for a token.
Responding to the incident, Thorat said the state government has taken serious note of what happened and a probe has been ordered.
Kailash Shinde, Palghar district collector, said, “The probe by the sub-divisional magistrate has been ordered. He will look into all facts, allegations, and circumstances in which the incident occurred. A course of action will be decided after the report is submitted.”