MUMBAI: The government's decision to announce the biggest loan waiver scheme for farmers has boosted morale of over 90,000 fishermen in the state.

Fishermen have revived their demand of loan waiver as they claimed that the fishing business is being affected since last 10 years and has been reduced to less than half of the tune because of illegal fishing.

According to the Akhil Maharashtra Machhiimar Kriti Samiti , the fishermen have borrowed loan of up to Rs 1,000 crore from various banks including credit societies and through cooperative institutions and should be waived off so that they get some relief.

President of the Kriti Samiti, Damodar Tandel submitted a memorandum to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis , fisheries minister Mahadev Jankar and minister of state for fisheries Arjun Khotkar on Wednesday.

Mahadev Jankar told TOI that he will seek opinion from the law and judiciary department in this regard. “Fishing doesn’t have the ‘agriculture’ status so first of all we will try to give agriculture status to fishing. However, the final decision will be taken only after discussing the issue with chief minister Devendra Fadnavis,” said Jankar.

Fishermen want loan waiver scheme on the lines of farmers. Recalling 2008-09 loan waiver Tandel said, “The Union government had announced loan waiver for farmers and fishermen as well in 2008-09. However, fishermen didn’t get relief at all at that time because of finance queries. So we are reviving our demand now, else will start protest from next month, July, before collector's office where fishermen community is located.”

An official from the state finance department said that almost all fishermen borrowed loan from local credit societies and via cooperative institutions, run by group of fishermen. However, there were no provisions of waiving off loans taken besides nationalised bank or district cooperative.

