Maharashtra: Farmers hit by heavy rains to get benefit of stimulus grant scheme, CM directs to issue GR

Mumbai, 12th July 2022: Taking note of the fact that those farmers who are regularly repaying the farm loan are denied the stimulus grant up to Rs 50,000 due to certain conditions, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde today issued directions to issue a government resolution (GR) to include such flood and heavy rains affected farmers in this scheme. Dhaiyrsheel Mane, MP, and MLA Prakash Abitkar brought this to the notice of the Chief Minister that even after submitting petitions lakhs of farmers are deprived of this grant.

In view of these submissions, Chief Minister Shinde reiterated that the government is committed to paying Rs. 50000 grants to farmers who are honestly repaying the loan by dropping the hard conditions.

The memorandum submitted by Prakash Abitkar, MLA, and Dhairyasheel Mane, MP pointed at the harsh conditions in the Mahatma Phule Loan Waiver Scheme. The scheme envisages payment of Rs 50000 as ex-gratia but the rules are very hard. Those heavy rain-affected farmers who were given grants in 2018-19 were dropped from this scheme. Thus, lakhs of farmers are deprived of the benefit of this scheme. Besides, the loans taken from banks or Institutions in 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20 are permissible under this scheme. However, the criteria for the nationalized banks and district banks differ as they have different financial years, the memorandum said.