Govt positive about loan waiver above Rs 2 lakh: Ajit Pawar

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said on Friday that the state government was positive about waiving farm loans above the limit of Rs 2 lakh.

The loan waiver scheme announced by the Shiv Sena- NCP-Congress government after coming to power last year has a cap of Rs 2 lakh.

"The government has given loan waiver to farmers whose dues were less than Rs 2 lakh. We are thinking positively about waiver for the farmers whose debts exceed Rs 2 lakh," Pawar said, speaking at a press conference.

"Regular repayment of farm loans will also be encouraged," said Pawar, who also holds the finance portfolio.

The government has decided to fill up 60,000-70,000 vacancies in the Water Resources, Revenue and Public Health departments and some 8,000 posts in the police force, he informed.

The NCP leader accused former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis of doing injustice to other districts of the state, alleging that an additional Rs 237 crore were allotted to Nagpur during the BJP regime.

Nagpur is Fadnavis's constituency.

"For this, the funds meant for other districts were slashed," Pawar claimed.

Later, at a meeting chaired by Pawar at the collector's office, a Rs 1,580-crore draft plan under the General District Annual Scheme was sanctioned for the Nashik division.

The funds for the plan have been increased by Rs 332. 18 crore for 2020-21.

Under the plan, Rs 425 crore are allotted for Nashik district, Rs 190 crore for Dhule, Rs 375 crore for Jalgaon, Rs 115 crore for Nandurbar and Rs 475 crore for Ahmednagar.