Marathi language press was abuzz with news and analysis of the loan waiver announced by the UPA, with Pawar’s new announcement of extending the ceiling to beyond 5-acre land holdings also getting extensive coverage.
Marathi language press was abuzz with news and analysis of the loan waiver announced by the UPA, with Pawar’s new announcement of extending the ceiling to beyond 5-acre land holdings also getting extensive coverage.
Lokmat highlighted how the loan waiver for farmers would benefit the rest of Maharashtra but not the cotton farmers of Vidarbha who have suffered the most.
The survey published by the paper said out of 17,371 farmers who have taken loans, 53.79% farmers from rest of Maharashtra would benefit, while only 16.80% farmers from Vidarbha, 1.58% from Konkan and 27.83% farmers from Marathwada would be beneficiaries of the exemption.
Sakal highlighted that the state legislators shouted slogans, “Sat bara utara kora kara” (clear land records of loans) after additional governor SC Jamir said that there is a positive change in Vidarbh after the loan-waiver announcement.
On Saturday, union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar had declared in Beed that the government will extend the loan-waiver ceiling to beyond 5 acres, as all farmers need to benefit.
Maharashtra Times welcomed the loan waiver announcement, with some reservations. The edit said it was a final solution but it cannot be permanent.
The farmers should be more empowered to be able to repay any loans in future. Their capital needs to be increased.
Loksatta featured the loan waiver for couple of times. The edit said it was a bold step, especially when Shiv Sena had attempted to undertake farmers’ rallies while the NCP-Congress tried to turn the tide in their favour.
Its edit stated that although the Union government allocated Rs 60cr to waive farmer loans, the Congress high command Sonia Gandhi was concerned how much would this move benefit Congress party.
Despite the announcement of loan waiver, suicides have not stopped in the Vidarbha region. After the announcement, 24 farmers had committed suicide in Maharashtra. The edit ended saying the issue has given everyone something to think about, but no one can predict what can happen in the forthcoming elections, as we have seen in Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat, despite exit polls predicting entirely different results.
Another Saamna edit questioned the impact of loan waiver and said it has benefited only a few farmers. It called NCP-Congress shameless since leaders of both the parties were vying for taking credit for the waiver.
The edit said it was dirty politics to extend loan waiver up to 5 acres only, as it would definitely not include farmers from Vidarbha, Marathwada and Khandesh, who will go hungry again.
k_neeta@dnaindia.net
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