Loan waiver: Maha oppn parties to meet Guv for spl session of

A delegation of the Opposition parties will call on Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao at Raj Bhavan tomorrow demanding that a special session of the state legislature be convened over the "rising incidents" of suicides by farmers and the need to announce a farm loan waiver.
The Leader of Opposition in Legislative Assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil told reporters that apart from leaders of the Congress, the representatives of the NCP, PWP (Peasants and Workers Party), SP (Samajwadi Party), and Peoples' Republican Party will be part of the delegation.
"The Leader of Opposition in Legislative Council Dhananjay Munde, NCP leaders Ajit Pawar, and Jayant Patil will be part of the delegation. Other leaders include former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan (Congress), Jayant Patil (PWP), Abu Asim Azmi (SP), and Jogendra Kawade (Peoples Republican Party)," he said.

Vikhe Patil termed as a "very serious issue" the "rising number of suicides" by farmers in the state.
"Since the last four years, farmers are facing drought conditions, natural calamities, and crop failure. They are not getting good price for their produce and they are unable to pay their debt," the Congress leader said.
He said the Opposition parties have been demanding a farm loan waiver "as it is the only immediate measure to provide relief to them".

"When we started 'Sangharsh yatra', we realised how important farm loan waiver is. We raised the issue in the recent budget session of the legislature as well. Majority of the Assembly was in favour of the loan waiver," Vikhe Patil said.

The government will convene a special session to pass the GST legislation, he said.
"But, there is a need for convening a special session to take a decision on waiving loans of farmers. We will appeal to the governor to issue necessary directions to the government," he said.