 "Devendra Fadnavis")
Amidst rising chorus for laon waiver to farmers especially in the drought-hit districts in Maharashtra, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stuck to his stand rejecting demand made in this regard by ruling partner Shiv Sena and opposition parties.
Fadnavis, who has already refused to relent in the past, reiterated that loan waiver was not the solution.
Instead, Fadnavis said the BJP-led government is of the view that farmers should become financially sound. The Chief Minister told reporters that the government will invest on agriculture and thereby transform the present picture.
Fadnavis informed that the government had spent Rs 8,000 crore on drought relief and rehabilitation measures during 2014-15.
He said during 2015-16, the government approved Rs 4,000 crore of which Rs 2,300 crore has already been disbursed to farmers. He made it clear that government will spend more during 2016-17 to help farmers and indicated that adequate provision be made in the state budget to be presented on March 18.
The Chief Minister's statement comes at a time when the discussion on the present state of drought in more than 15,000 villages was in progress in the state assembly. Members Shiv Sena and opposition parties strongly criticised the administration for its inept handling of the drought and also blamed it for the rising number of farmers suicides in drought hit districts.
Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray and the party legislators and MPs have been consistent on their demand that loan waiver should be declared to save the crisis ridden farmers and thereby curb suicides.
On the other hand, leader of opposition in the state assembly Radhikrishna Vikhe-Patil, leader of opposition in the state council Dhananjay Munde, NCP leaders Ajit Pawar and Jayant Patil recalled how the Rs 73,000 crore loan waiver announced by the UPA government had helped farmers and asked the state government not to further delay the decision in this regard.
Meanwhile, in a significant move, Fadnavis announced in the state legislature that the government as per the new policy will regularise more than 200,000 unauthorised structures across the state. This will give a much needed relief to the residents from illegal buildings situated at Navi Mumbai, Thane and Pimpri Chinvhwad.
Fadnavis made it clear that these unauthorised structures will become authorised after fulfillment of necessary legal procedure. He told the legislature that the government has taken decision in this regard after accepting the recommendations made by a high level committee headed by the former Mumbai municipal commissioner Sitaram Kunte.
