NCP urges Maharashtra govt to stop issuance of loan recovery notices to farmers, cites agricultural distress

Mahesh Tapase. Pic/ official Twitter account

The Nationalist Congress Party on Thursday said that the bank notices being issued to the farmers across Maharashtra for loan recovery amid lack of rainfall must stop, reported the PTI.

The Sharad Pawar-led party's spokesperson Mahesh Tapase also raised questions on Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led government's silence on the issue. He demanded the government to take immediate action and to provide relief to all farmers, stated a PTI report.

In Photos: European firefighters and planes join battle against wildfires that have left 20 dead in Greece

1 year agoPHOTO GALLERY

Mahesh Tapase said, "Both June and July witnessed a deficiency in expected rainfall, and August rainfall is below the average by approximately 68 per cent. Between August 1 and 18, the rainfall has been a staggering 80 percent less than the historical average across all divisions," according to the PTI.

He said due to below average rainfall has had a devastating impact on crops and that there was need for affected farmers to access crop insurance benefits.

The NCP leader said that the farmers are already grappling with low rainfall this year and the bank notices being sent to them for loan recovery is increasing the woes of the cultivators.

According to the PTI, Tapase said, "It is disheartening to witness the anti-farmer stance of the present government. Inadequate rainfall has already taken a toll on the agricultural sector, and the issuance of loan recovery notices adds insult to injury."

Tapase said that the Maharashtra government must intervene swiftly and annul the bank notices; he added that his party stands in solidarity with the farmers and will not hesitate to take robust measures if their issues are not resolved. He asserted that the party will relentlessly pursue the cause and ensure the farmers receive the due support.

Meanwhile, Nationalist Congress Party leader Supriya Sule slammed the Maharashtra government on the stir across the state over export duty on onions. On Thursday, Sule said that the ruling government [in Maharashtra] was exhibiting "complete policy paralysis" and lack of coordination, stated a report in PTI.

Farmers and traders in Nashik have been demonstrating since Monday against Union government's August 19 decision to impose 40 per cent export duty on onions till December 31.

The working president of NCP, Sule, told media that she has been raising the issue of onions through social media with Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Piyush Goyal for the last four months. "I told him there is excess production of onions in the country and scarcity in some parts of the world," she was quoted as saying, as per the PTI.

(with PTI inputs)