Mumbai, Oct 11 (UNI) The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena today threatened Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis that farmers all across Maharashtra will hit the streets and launch an agitation if their loans are not completely waived off.
Earlier this week, the Fadnavis government had announced a compensation package of Rs 31,628 crore for farmers who suffered massive losses due to rains and floods, stating that the total assistance provided will be Rs 48,000 per hectare of land.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Fadnavis had stated that his government would announce a loan waiver in due course, saying that a comprehensive memorandum on the losses suffered by farmers is being prepared for submission to the central government.
“We are warning the government that if you do not waive off farmers’ loans completely, not only Marathwada’s farmers but farmers from all over Maharashtra will take to the streets to oppose you,” Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray said at a march organised at Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar today, to demand a complete loan waiver for flood-affected farmers.
“You (Fadnavis) need the votes of farmers to rule, but when they ask for justice, you tell them not to indulge in politics. Which kind of government is this? They said that they will restructure the loans. We do not want any so-called restructuring of loans. We do not want today’s death to be postponed to tomorrow. We want debt relief and complete waiver of farmers’ loans. I have the right to demand this because when I was the Chief Minister, I had waived off farmers’ loans,” Uddhav Thackeray said, addressing farmers who attended the march on Saturday.
“I came to Marathwada 15 days ago. When I met the farmers, I announced that we will not rest until this government waives off all farmers’ loans. Last time I came, it was raining, but this time it is scorching hot. Shiv Sena is with you when you face a crisis. The demand for assistance of Rs 50,000 per hectare has been made after talking to farmers. The package announced by the Fadnavis government is unacceptable to farmers. The government’s package is a big slap and they are patting themselves on the back,” Uddhav Thackeray told farmers attending the march.
“We are asking for assistance of Rs 50,000 per hectare to those who have taken Rs 50 crore (an indirect reference to Deputy CM Eknath Shinde’s party). So they will not come to their senses easily. You will have to take a whip in your hands and bring them to their senses. After the loan restructuring package was announced, everybody thought that it was the biggest package for farmers in history. But unfortunately it turned out to be the biggest slap to farmers in history. So far, no government has given such a big slap to farmers like the Fadnavis government. The Prime Minister visited Mumbai but he said nothing about farmers in his speech,” Uddhav Thackeray told farmers.
“I am ready to support the package announced by the Fadnavis government. But I have one condition. The Chief Minister said that we will give Rs three and a half lakh per hectare of land from MGNREGA funds. So I challenge the Chief Minister that if you have the will, deposit Rs one lakh, out of Rs three lakhs in the bank accounts of farmers before Diwali. This is my challenge to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis,” Uddhav Thackeray told farmers. UNI XC SS
