Mumbai: Uddhav Thackeray, the chief of Shiv Sena (UBT), on Saturday urged the Maharashtra government to promptly announce a total farm loan waiver and provide financial support of Rs 50,000 per hectare to farmers affected by the floods and heavy rains in Marathwada and other regions of the state. “I appeal to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on behalf of the farmers to make them debt-free and quickly announce assistance of Rs 50,000 per hectare, distributing it in a timely manner. The notices being sent by banks for loan recovery must be halted,” he stated during a press conference.
Thackeray criticized the state government for its sluggish response in assisting those in the impacted areas, asserting that immediate help is essential for farmers to rebuild their lives, especially as ongoing heavy rain and floods continue to cause devastation in Marathwada. He condemned the government’s response as “delayed and insufficient,” noting that the existing aid of Rs 7,000-8,000 per hectare is inadequate to restore agricultural land that has become uncultivable. “How will farmers in debt repay their loans? The government needs to declare a complete loan waiver,” he insisted.
He also targeted the BJP-led MahaYuti government, claiming that farmers have not received the Rs 14,000 crore aid that was promised over the past two to three years, mentioning that even the loan waiver from 2017 under the previous Fadnavis administration was not carried out. Thackeray suggested that Maharashtra should adopt the Punjab model and provide Rs 50,000 per hectare in aid, stating that the losses incurred by farmers this year cannot be compensated in the next two to three years. Reflecting on his time as Chief Minister, he recalled that the Maha Vikas Aghadi government had swiftly announced and implemented a farm loan waiver upon taking office in 2019. “In times of crisis, we acted without delay.
I do not wish to politicize this issue, but if advocating for farmers’ rights is considered political, then so be it,” he commented. He added, “Reports of suicides emerge daily. During my visit to Marathwada villages, I encountered a household where a 31-year-old man had taken his own life, leaving behind a 15-day-old baby. He was burdened with a debt of Rs 2 lakh.” Criticizing CM Fadnavis for his recent village visit, Thackeray claimed that the CM dismissed a farmer’s inquiry about relief, telling him, “don’t do politics,” and subsequently, the farmer faced police harassment. “What kind of democracy is this? Why pursue a distressed farmer instead of offering assistance?” Thackeray exclaimed angrily.