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Nagpur, Oct 30 (IANS) Former minister and Prahar organization chief Bachchu Kadu, who has launched protests demanding immediate farm loan waiver, on Thursday said farmers who are financially capable, have a government job, pension or are businessmen who have taken up farming only for investment and tax savings should not be covered while waiving off farm loans.
Speaking to the media at the protest site, he suggested, “With Digital India, it has now become easier for the government to find out the real financial status of everyone. Therefore, the government should find out the needy farmers as soon as possible and provide them loan waiver.”
This statement comes ahead of Bachchu Kadhu’s meeting with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in Mumbai this evening to discuss the charter of his demands.
Kadu, who was present with various farmer organizations at the protest, made his stand clear on farm loan waiver, saying all loans of farmers (needy and non-rich) should be waived off immediately without any conditions.
A grace period of seven years should be given to all farmers, including those who make regular loan repayments.
Along with crop loans, all loans given for poly houses, shade nets, land reclamation and irrigation facilities should also be included in the loan waiver.
According to him, only needy farmers should be identified and given the benefit of loan waiver, he reiterated that because of ‘Digital India’ this can be done in just five to ten minutes.
Kadu has demanded that 20 per cent subsidy on minimum support price (MSP) should be provided on agricultural commodities, a subsidy of Rs 5 lakh should be given to families in rural areas by applying the same criteria as in cities, all expenses from sowing to harvesting should be covered through the Maharashtra Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme and the Nagpur-Goa Shaktipeeth Highway should be cancelled.
They also demanded that a monthly honorarium of Rs 6,000 be given to the disabled, destitute, widows, women and orphans, a separate policy be made for shepherds and fishermen and the issue of salaries of gram panchayat employees be resolved permanently.
“For sugarcane, for the year 2025-26, give a fair and remunerative price (FRP) of Rs 4300 per tonne for 9 per cent recovery and Rs 430 for every one per cent recovery above that. Give the outstanding FRP amount to the farmers. Provide a minimum price of Rs 40 per kg for onion, permanently eliminate export restrictions, minimum export price and export tax on onion. The government should pay adequate attention so that onion farmers get fair prices. Minimum base rate of Rs 50 for cow milk and Rs 65 for buffalo milk. Implement FRP and revenue-sharing policies in the milk sector, adopt a concrete policy to prevent adulteration in milk.
Kadu said many farmer leaders and organizations have joined the protest to send a positive message that they are not alone. Apart from this, the gathering of farmers and their organizations in Nagpur is also to make a unanimous appeal to the farmers not to commit suicide.
He announced, “We hope for a solution during the meeting with the Chief Minister this evening. If it does not emerge, we will decide the future of our protest after returning to Nagpur.”
On Wednesday, CM Fadnavis insisted that loan waiver for farmers was being considered, and “the government has never said that it will not waive off farm loans”.
–IANS
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