Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis says 36 lakh farmers will benefit from loan waiver plan

In June, after facing days of protests from farmers, the Maharashtra government  announced  a loan waiver to farmers with less than five acres of land. The decision was reportedly taken at a four-hour meeting at Sahyadri Guest House in Malabar Hill, Mumbai attended by ministers and farmer leaders. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis later said that Rs 34,000 crore debt relief would be given to financially distressed farmers and the BJP-led government would see debt of up to Rs 1.5 lakh per farmer being written off. Three weeks on, Fadnavis took to Twitter to announce that 36 lakh people will benefit from the loan waiver under the Chhattrapati Shivaji Maharaj Shetkari Samman Yojna. According to the list posted by Fadnavis, Aurangabad, Ahmednagar and Beed in Marathwada will benefit most from the loan waiver.

CM @Dev_Fadnavis tells district wise number of beneficiary farmers of loan waiver (loan upto ₹1.5lakh) pic.twitter.com/Egt6GUJ21d

— CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) July 3, 2017

Earlier, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had stated that the Maharashtra government will come out with a loan waiver for farmers before 31 October and alleged that some political leaders were milking the ongoing agitation. “Before 31 October, the distressed farmers who need help will be given a loan waiver. The modalities are being worked out and I can say with conviction that this will be the biggest loan waiver in Maharashtra’s history,” Fadnavis had told reporters after a meeting on urban development with Union minister Venkaiah Naidu.