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10,512-cr package for drought-hit farmers: Fadnavis
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today announced a financial aid of Rs 10,512 crore for drought-hit farmers in 14 districts of the state, even as the Opposition continued to demand a complete loan waiver for those affected claiming that the package was inadequate.
Nagpur: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today announced a financial aid of Rs 10,512 crore for drought-hit farmers in 14 districts of the state, even as the Opposition continued to demand a complete loan waiver for those affected claiming that the package was inadequate.
Concluding a marathon debate on relief package for the drought-affected districts in the state Assembly, Fadnavis in his 70-minute-long speech listed several measures taken by his government and said he was committed to save farmers from going to the brink and taking the extreme step.
Of Rs 10,512 crore package, the CM said Rs 7,412 crore will be given directly to the affected farmers whose crop suffered damages due to drought. Demanding a complete loan waiver for the affected farmers, the Opposition denounced the package and staged a walkout of the Assembly claiming it to be inadequate. Dismissing the Opposition's claims of inadequate package, Fadnavis said the erstwhile Congress-NCP government had given a total package of Rs 7,000 crore. Rejecting the demand for total crop loan waiver, Fadanvis, giving figures, said even after the Democratic Front (Congress-NCP) government had announced loan waiver package in 2008, 1,068 farmers had ended their lives.
"Complete loan waiver was not a solution. 72 percent of farmers are not covered by institutional finances," he added. "The loan waiver scheme has failed in neighbouring states like Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. In a single day, 187 farmers committed suicide in Karnataka," he informed the Lower House.
The Chief Minister said his government has made a provision of Rs 750 crores for digging 33,000 wells to overcome problem of water shortage.
