Loan waiver: Substantial amount under supplementary demands

MONSOON SESSION EVE CM says Oppn parties opposing themselves on issue

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis disclosed that the supplementary demands that will be tabled on the very first of monsoon session of the state assembly will have provision of at least half of the total burden of the recently announced loan waiver for farmers.

Fadnavis also stated that the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Shetkari Sanman Yojanaloan waiver scheme is not just an announcement but the beneficiary farmers will get actual benefit from Monday. Meanwhile, opposition Congress and NCP separately submitted their demands on the issue to the chief minister.

While addressing the media on the eve of monsoon session, the chief minister said, “Altogether 25,000 centers including each one at every gram panchayat will be available for the farmers from Monday. Beneficiary farmers have to fill up specific forms which are simple. Aadhaar number is mandatory as it has been linked with the bank account and hence we can avoid irregularities in transferring amount of loan waiver,” Fadnavis said.

He also said, “We are taking all precautions and steps to ensure that benefits of the scheme goes to genuine farmers only.

Taking cognizance of issues raised by opposition about implementation of the scheme, Fadnavis said, “Ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and Shiv Sena government is ready for discussion. We will also accept their suggestions if they are practical and positive.” He warned that he will not accept any suggestions from opposition which has its own interest. Fadnavis stated that in the previous loan waiver scheme, the Comptroller of Auditor General of India (CAG) had found some ghost accounts which were fakes.

The major amount of the loan waiver will be included in supplementary demands. Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar agreed that the size of the demands will be big but refused to disclose the amount. According to an official from the finance department, out of the total Rs. 34,200 crore, a provision of Rs. 15,000 crore will be included in the supplementary demands.

Criticizing the opposition for its separate agenda, the CM said in the legislative history of Maharashtra, “we have seen opposition parties are opposing each other”. On the Manjula Shetye issue, he said it is under inquiry.

The scam in Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) is also being probed, he said. “If foolproof documents are provided in the SRA scam, action will be taken against culprits whoever he is,” Fadnavis said. Prakash Mehta, minister for housing, is under scanner in the case and opposition leaders Dhananajay Munde and Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil have stated that they will raise it during the session. Munde and Patil during separate press conferences said they will raise the issue of failure by the government in the loan waiver scheme. “We will also raise law and order issue through Shetye murder and gang war in Dhule, scam by bureaucrat Vishwas Patil in SRA, and many others,” Munde said.