Complete loan waiver for Maharashtra farmers not possible: Government

 Maharashtra Government on Tuesday said a complete loan waiver for farmers is not possible but it is looking at the possibility of restructuring cooperative crop loans to provide relief to distressed agriculturalists, who are facing losses due to natural calamities.

"From February 28 to March 3, about 7.90 lakh hectares of farmland had been affected due to drought and hailstorm in 30 districts. Of this, crops on 2.53 lakh hectares had been affected more than 50%. "It is not possible to give a complete loan waiver to farmers but we are looking at restructuring cooperative crop loans," Revenue Minister Eknath Khadse informed the Legislative Council.

He was replying to a discussion on the plight of farmers due to drought situation in some regions and hailstorm in other places. Khadse claimed distribution of financial package, announced for farmers who suffered losses earlier due to calamities, is almost complete.

"The Government had promised Rs 4,803-crore package of which Rs 3,345 crore has been distributed. The remaining fund is pending due to technical reasons like beneficiaries not having bank accounts, but I have instructed the Collectors to quickly resolve the matter." He said four insurance companies have shown interest in providing cover to crop loans but they have objected to inserting the 'suicide' clause.