Maharashtra Opposition demands complete farm loan waiver ahead of monsoon session

Opposition parties staged a protest on the steps of the Maharashtra legislature complex on Monday ahead of the monsoon session demanding a comprehensive farm loan waiver and accusing the Devendra Fadnavisled government of imposing conditions that could prevent many farmers from benefiting from the schemeThe protest was led by Shiv Sena UBT leaders Aaditya Thackeray and Ambadas Danve along with Congress leader Satej Patil Legislators from various Opposition parties participated in the demonstration raising slogans against the state government and calling for immediate relief for distressed farmersThe protest comes as the government prepares for the monsoon session of the state legislature where farmrelated issues are expected to feature prominently in debatesOpposition questions eligibility criteriaThe Opposition has welcomed the governments decision to announce a farm loan waiver but has expressed concern over what it describes as restrictive eligibility conditions attached to the schemeProtesting legislators argued that a large number of farmers may be left out despite facing financial hardship and mounting debt burdensThe farmers should get complete loan waiver The government should implement it the protesters demandedAccording to Opposition leaders the waiver should be extended to all eligible farmers without technical restrictions that could complicate the application process or limit access to benefitsEarlier protests over loan waiver conditionsThe issue has been raised repeatedly by Opposition leaders in recent weeksEarlier this month NCP SP MLA Rohit Pawar staged a protest demanding the removal of what he termed stringent conditions in the loan waiver scheme He had called for a blanket waiver covering all eligible farmers rather than a relief package tied to multiple eligibility requirementsOpposition parties have maintained that farm distress remains a major concern in several parts of Maharashtra and that relief measures should be implemented in a manner that maximises coverageThey have also argued that procedural hurdles could discourage farmers from applying for benefits under the schemeGovernment approves Rs 36585 crore relief packageOn June 2 the Maharashtra cabinet approved a farm loan waiver package worth Rs 36585 crore The scheme is expected to benefit nearly 56 lakh cultivators across the stateNamed the Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar Shetkari Karjamukti Yojana the programme provides a waiver of up to Rs 2 lakh on eligible farm loansThe scheme has three components mdash loan waiver onetime settlement OTS and incentive benefits The government has stated that there will be no landholding criterion for eligibility under the programmeDetails of the loan waiver schemeUnder the loan waiver component farmers whose total outstanding shortterm crop loans including principal and interest are up to Rs 2 lakh will be eligible for complete debt reliefTo qualify the loans must have been disbursed between April 1 2019 and March 31 2025 The loans should have remained overdue as of September 30 2025 and unpaid until March 31 2026Farmers whose outstanding dues exceed Rs 2 lakh will be covered under the onetime settlement component Under this provision borrowers will have to repay the amount exceeding Rs 2 lakh before becoming eligible for a waiver of up to Rs 2 lakhThe government has set March 31 2027 as the deadline for such farmers to deposit their share of the outstanding amount and avail themselves of the benefits under the schemeThe Opposition has indicated that it will continue to press for a broader and less restrictive loan waiver policy during the upcoming legislative sessionWith inputs from PTI