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Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday said the announcement of a farm loan waiver scheme in the state budget for 2026-27 fulfils a promise made by Mahayuti parties ahead of the 2024 assembly polls. In his budget speech, Fadnavis, who holds the finance portfolio, announced Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar Shetkari Karjmafi Yojna, a loan waiver scheme for farmers under which crop loans of up to Rs 2 lakh till September 30, 2025, will be written off. He announced a Rs 50,000 incentive for other eligible farmers who are regular in repayments of loans. Later, talking to reporters, the CM said in the budget, the capital expenditure has increased by 21 per cent --- from Rs 93,000 crore to Rs 1,12,000 crore. This would lead to an increase in capacity building and strengthening basic infrastructure. Fadnavis acknowledged that there was a "lot of stress", but the government has decided not to stop any scheme, an apparent reference to the Mukhyamantri Ladki Bahin Yojana, a direct
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should scrap the Indo-US trade deal, which he described as being against the interests of Indian farmers. Addressing the 'Kisan Mahachaupal' farmers' rally in Bhopal, Gandhi likened the interim trade deal to an arrow piercing the hearts of Indian farmers. "After the US Supreme Court ruling on the trade deal, I challenge PM Modi to scrap it...but he won't be able to do so," the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said. "The Indo-US trade deal is against the interests of our farmers and was done by PM Modi under the pressure of US President Donald Trump because of Epstein files and to save industrialist Adani," he alleged. The Congress leader also accused PM Modi of agreeing to sign the Indo-US trade deal without taking Union ministers Rajnath Singh (Defence), Shivraj Singh Chouhan (Agriculture) and Nitin Gadkari (Road Transport and Highways) into confidence. "This is not a deal, but an arrow struck in the .
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday provided Rs 285 crore as crop compensation to over 2.51 lakh farmers, asserting that the government is ensuring their protection from natural calamities. Addressing a programme for the distribution of assistance under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana and the Mukhyamantri Krishak Durghatna Kalyan Yojana, the chief minister said that farmers who insure their crops are entitled to financial aid in case of losses caused by disasters. "The amount of Rs 285 crore has been provided as crop loss compensation to 2.51 lakh farmer families in the state. Crop insurance ensures that farmers receive economic assistance in times of adversity. This amount is a support to our 'annadata'," Adityanath said. Adityanath, while distributing cheques to beneficiaries, reiterated the state government's commitment to safeguard the farmers' interests.
The mission of Heritage Foods is to deliver fresh, healthy dairy products to every household while empowering every dairy farmer, said Nara Bhuvaneswari, Vice Chairperson and MD of the company. She also asserted that the firm adheres to stringent quality testing procedures to ensure highest standards in its products. Her remarks come at a time when the firm promoted by the family members of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has come under attack from the opposition YSR Congress, which has allegedly linked it to Indapur Daily, which supplied ghee to Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams. "Every product reaches your home only after passing 25 quality tests, monitored by more than 500 experts. Across nine states, we work with nearly 300,000 farmers, guided by the principles of transparency, fair pricing, and timely payments," she said in a video posted on X on Thursday night, dismissing the opposition party's campaign regarding the quality of Heritage Food products. According to her, starti
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi met farm union leaders from across the country in the Parliament House complex on Friday and discussed with them the need for a countrywide movement to oppose the India-US interim trade deal as well as safeguarding the livelihoods of farmers and farm labourers. Posting a video of the meeting on X and taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Gandhi said, "Narendra 'surrender' Modi has betrayed India's farmers -- and they understand this." "This is not just a trade agreement, but a direct attack on the livelihoods of our food providers. At a meeting with a delegation of farmers' unions in Parliament today, the concerns were evident. Farmers, already struggling with inflation, rising costs and uncertainty over MSPs, are now being pitted against foreign crops equipped with heavy subsidies and mechanical power, unprepared," he said in his post in Hindi. This is not a fight based on equal terms, but one-sided pressure, Gandhi ...