Fri. Mar 29th, 2024

As the agitation of the farmers demanding complete loan waiver and purchase of crops at minimum support price could be seen in Madhya Pradesh, it had spread to Maharashtra as well.

A committee, comprising of representatives from various farmer groups, had given the ultimatum to heighten their protests across Maharashtra if their demands of a complete loan waiver, a guaranteed Minimum Support Price (MSP) for their produce, and implementation of the Swaminathan Committee report, were not accepted by the state government by June 11.

In order to control the situation, Devendra Fadnavis government has agreed ‘in principle’ to give a complete loan waiver to farmers. This decision came after a six member high-power ministerial committee, constituted by the government, met members of various farmers’ groups to negotiate on their demands. After the meeting and the governments decision, farmers called off their rail roko protest, which they had threatened to do if their demands were not fulfilled.

Maharashtra already has a debt burden of Rs 3.56 lakh crore, which is likely to rise massively after the loan waiver decision of the government. The state pays an amount of Rs 31,000 crore as interest annually on its loans. Earlier, the loan waiver was only for 34 lakh small and marginal farmers who owned 5 acres or less and who were ‘out of the credit system’ as they were unable to repay their loans. However, later the government agreed to a complete loan waiver on Sunday and there would be conditions attached to this waiver. The waiver would be given after the government and farmers’ groups formed a committee which would fix the eligibility criteria. The government has also agreed to set a minimum support price for milk and Milk- co-operatives would have to share their profit with farmers on a 70-30 ratio from June 30.

Both the government and farmers’ representatives have agreed that ‘only genuine farmers’ who are not businessmen or salaried class, can avail themselves of the waiver.  Farmers leader Raju Shetti added that if the waiver was not announced by July 25, when the Maharashtra’s monsoon assembly session begins, they would resume their agitation again.

Revenue Minister Chandrakant Patil added that the Swaminathan Committee report is under the preview of the centre and hence will take some time foe its implementation.

Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis tweeted after the announcement, “Discussions between government of Maharashtra and representatives of farmers (have) reached a common consensus. Farmers have called off the strike.”