In order to suppress the growing agitation of the farmers, demanding a complete loan waive off and purchase of farm products at MSP, the governments of different states had agreed to their demands.
Governments of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Andra pradesh, Telangana and Maharashtra had agreed to the demands of complete loan waiver of the farmers along with taking few more measures for the benefits of the farmers.
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.
A couple of days after the announcement, state government officials have said they may set a waiver limit of Rs 1 lakh for ‘eligible’ farmers. The farmers group are disagreeing to this announcement saying that it was specifically mentioned during the meeting that, no limits will be set on the size of the land holding or a limit on the waiver amount.
Farmers’ leader and chief of Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghtana (SSS), Raju Shetti said that, “I don’t know which government official is claiming about the Rs 1 lakh limit, there were no limits set in the consensus that we have reached with the government and our discussions on who would be eligible would take place only after two days.” He further added that, bigger the land holding, bigger the losses a farmer has sustained. He questioned that, a farmer might have 15 acres of land and for each acre he may have taken a loan that could add up to several lakhs. How will a Rs 1-lakh loan help him?
However the SSS chief is also trying to support the government saying that the loan waiver should only be granted on loans taken on crops, as the crops have failed. Loans taken on purchase of tractors or pipelines or any other long term investments should not be waived off.
Raju Shitti’s statement Shetti’s that no limits on the size of the land holding or the amount of loan was set during the meeting, is making the Maharashtrian government anxious.