With the announcement, the farmer bodies have called-off agitation scheduled for Monday.

Maharashtra farm loan waiver: Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis-led Maharashtra government on Sunday appointed a special committee for farm loan waivers in the state, Press Trust of India reported. With the announcement, the farmer bodies have called-off the agitation scheduled for Monday. Earlier Fadnavis had announced “the biggest-ever” farm loan waiver in the state. “The government has, in principle, decided to waive farmers’ loans with certain stipulations. The loans of farmers with small and medium land holdings stand waived from today itself,” Revenue Minister Chandrakant Patil said. Patil, who headed a high-power committee set up by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, was speaking to reporters on holding discussions with farmer leaders here today. Fadnavis said the Maharashtra government had agreed to the loan waiver for farmers, adding that conditions and details will be finalised by a joint committee. “Discussions between the government of Maharashtra and representatives of farmers have reached a consensus and farmers have called off the strike,” Fadnavis said. Fadnavis, last Saturday, tweeted that the government has decided to appoint a committee to look into the modalities of the loan waiver scheme. “We are working to fulfil Munde’s dream of serving the poor. We have announced the biggest-ever loan waiver to give relief to distressed farmers,” he tweeted. “We have decided to appoint a committee to prepare modalities of the loan waiver with representatives of farmers to ensure maximum coverage,” Fadnavis said, while addressing a gathering at Gopinath-gad in Beed district after paying homage to the late Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Gopinath Munde on his death anniversary.

The Chief Minister, while addressing the public gathering, said that BJP-led government is working hard to provide all possible assistance to farmers by creating irrigation facilities, ensuring power supply, facilitating food processing industry, group farming, etc. “Many more initiatives are being implemented. We have learnt a lot from Gopinath-Ji. I got the opportunity to work very closely with him,” Fadnavis said. Fadnavis vowed to waive-off farmers’ loan after a number of organisations staged demonstrations, claiming that their demands are yet to be met even after Friday’s late night meeting with the chief minister.

