Shiv Sena seeks PM Modi's intervention to stop farmers' suicides

With an average of 5 farmland suicides reported in Maharashtra daily a senior Shiv Sena leader on Friday sought Prime Minister Narendra Modis urgent personal intervention to crack the whip and direct public sector and commercial banks to immediately extend crop loans to the farmersIn a representation to the PM Vasantrao Naik Sheti Swavlamban Mission VNSSM President Kishore Tiwari said that monsoon is on in full swing and distressed farmers are in dire need of crop loans to ensure their survival till next yearShockingly the Centre has not yet issued orders to the public sector banks via Reserve Bank of India or NABARD to sanction the loans of those farmers who figure in the state governments list of loan waiver beneficiaries Tiwari told IANSWhile Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has repeatedly appealed for bank finance to all farmers all public private and other commercial banks continue to ignore the request Hence today more farmers are committing suicide than the Covid19 deaths in rural parts of the state Tiwari saidThe CM is also the Chairman of the State Level Bankers Committee SLBC which is empowered to address the farmland crises but unfortunately since March there have been 1860 farmers suicides compared to 1100 Covid19 deaths in rural Maharashtra he saidTiwari urged the PM and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to immediately instruct the RBI and NABARD to order all banks to take up the reconstruction of pending crop loans and start disbursing fresh loans particularly for the dying farmers in the worsthit Vidarbha and Marathwada regionsAs per the Union Budget the states share is Rs 120 lakh crore as agricultureoutlet target but at the current rate and speed of disbursals only 25 percent of this target will be achieved for 20202021 said TiwariCiting other issues he said previously the district cooperative banks share in the total loan disbursements was upto 70 percent which has now been reduced to only 30 percent while the responsibility of 70 percent has been given to the public sector banks by the CentreOf the estimated 80 percent of the total loan amount of Rs 40000 crore that was due to be disbursed by July 2020 for the current monsoon barely Rs 4000 crore or about 10 percent has been actually given he saidUnder the states ambitious Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Shetkari Karj Mukti Yojana MJPSKMY there were plans to make around 30 lakh farmers totally debtfree this year said Tiwari who is also Advisor to the Chief MinisterThough a list of 19 lakh farmer beneficiaries was announced in March so far hardly around 9 lakh farmers have benefited Later attention was diverted due to the Covid19 pandemicUnder the MJPSKMY alone Rs 19000 crore was expected to be disbursed but owing to the banks sheer noncooperation barely Rs 11000 crore has actually reached 9 lakh farmers till date Now the monsoon has begun all over he saidInstead of giving fresh loans now these banks are resorting to alleged illegalities like deducting the crop loan amount from the crop insurance compensation given to the farmers which could attract criminal action right down to the banks branch manager levels Tiwari warnedWe urge the Centre to order banks to comply with the state governments request on top priority failing which criminal action should be taken against the banks and their officers with the RBINABARD mandated for further action Any further delays and the farmers stand to lose the opportunity of a good monsoon expected this year Tiwari pointed outSince there are similar complaints from other states like Chhattisgarh Jharkhand West Bengal Telangana Andhra Pradesh the VNSSM head said that the PM or FM should authorise the CM of the respective states to take to task all such errant banks and their officersCatch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates MidDay is now on Telegram Click here to join our channel middayinfomedialtd and stay updated with the latest news