Farm loan waiver on, protests off

Ministers and farmer leaders during the meeting held at Sahyadri Guest House on Sunday. Pic/Suresh Karkera

The state government yesterday announced a loan waiver for farmers and decided to form a committee to decide the criteria of debt relief, after which cultivators called off their protests.

Round 1 to farmers
"The government has, in principle, decided to waive farmers' loans with certain stipulations. The loans of farmers with small and medium land holdings stand waived from today itself," said revenue minister Chandrakant Patil, who had headed a high-powered committee set up by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, after discussions with farmer leaders in the city yesterday.

"Discussions between the government of Maharashtra and representatives of farmers have reached a consensus, and farmers have called off the strike," Fadnavis said.
"The government has also accepted the demand of farmers to increase the milk prices."

He added that the milk societies would have to agree with the 70:30 formula of profit sharing on the lines of the sugar industry.

Waiting and watching
Meanwhile, the revenue minister said cases against those who participated in the farmers stir would be withdrawn, except in certain matters.

Leader of Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghtana and MP Raju Shetti said if the government failed to fulfil its commitments, they would restart their agitation from July 25. "Our issues have been resolved. We have decided to temporarily call off our agitation, including the dharna protests scheduled for tomorrow and day after. However, if no satisfactory decision is taken (on the criterion for loan waiver) by July 25, we will restart our stir," he added.

Shiv Sena minister Diwakar Raote said, "I was a representative of the Sena in the talks. I said the Sena was with the agitators. Fadnavis, in today's discussions, agreed in principle to the demands."