Uddhav Thackeray claims farmers got only certificates, not real waiver

Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray

Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray alleged Wednesday that farmers received only certificates of loan waiver, but not the actual amount. Addressing a rally at Beed in Maharashtra, Thackeray called a farmer on stage to illustrate the point.

However, the claim, in this particular case, was debunked by cooperation minister and BJP leader Subhash Deshmukh. During his speech, Thackeray called a farmer called Balasaheb Haribhau Solunke on stage, and showed the loan waiver certificate provided to him by the BJP-led state government's 'Aaple Sarkar' portal, handled by the Chief Minister's Office.

The certificate stated that Solunke's loan of Rs 98,925, taken from State Bank of India, Dharur branch, has been waived. Thackeray then asked him, "Have you received the benefit of loan waiver scheme?" The farmer replied in the negative. Thackeray then asked the audience how many of them had received actual benefit of the waiver scheme.

When nobody raised hand in response, the Sena chief said, "The government is distributing fake certificates and showing huge figures as spent on loan waiver scheme. If I question failure of the scheme, I become their opponent. But I will raise questions even if I am in power (in alliance) with the BJP." Later, Subhash Deshmukh, minister for cooperation and marketing, refuted the claim that Solunke had not received the money.

He produced details of the farmer's bank account, showing that the relief amount was deposited in November 2018. Meanwhile, speaking at another rally in Jalna, Thackeray lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not declaring relief for drought-hit farmers during Modi's visit to Solapur earlier Wednesday. He also termed the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (crop insurance scheme) as "Fasavnuk Yojana" (Fraud Scheme). Farmers did not get any insurance despite depositing premium, he said. The Sena chief also termed the Centre's Ujjwala LPG connection scheme as a farce.

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