Maharashtra Budget Session: Opposition to corner BJP over farm loan waiver

However, BJP-led govt sees smooth sailing with Shiv Sena on board

The Budget session of the Maharashtra legislature, beginning Monday (March 6), is likely to be a stormy affair, with the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) planning to corner the BJP-led government over farmer-related issues.

  

The two opposition parties boycotted the customary tea meeting convened by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday to protest against the government’s alleged failure to curb farmer suicides, its dilly-dallying on farm loan waiver, deteriorating law and order, among others.

A delegation comprising the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, and the Leader of Opposition in the state Council, Dhananjay Munde, will appeal to Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao to direct the state government to waive the farm loan.

Vikhe Patil said over 9,500 farmer suicides took place in Maharashtra in the last two-and-a-half years and 117 in the last two months. “If the loan waiver is for businessman Vijay Mallya, why is it not applied to farmers? The opposition will corner the government on this issue,” he said.

Fadnavis has, however, clarified that his government wants the loan waiver should not merely benefit the banks but the farming community in particular.

The budget session is taking place days after the BJP’s stellar performance in elections to the 25 zilla parishads and 10 municipal corporations in the state. Both the Congress and the NCP were routed in these elections.

The Congress-NCP combine ridiculed Fadnavis’ announcement that the BJP would keep away from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) mayoral election, saying it was a cheating on the Mumbaikars. 

The BJP won 82 seats in the BMC polls, two less than the Shiv Sena’s 84.

Vikhe-Patil reminded the BJP of its allegations with regard to mafia raj and a slew of scams in the BMC, which was ruled by the Shiv Sena in the last term. He pulled up the BJP for “double speak” and alleged that the party had been supporting mafia raj in the BMC.

Munde and Vikhe-Patil said the opposition will expose the lack of transparency in the state government.

The chief minister, meanwhile, hinted that it would be smooth sailing for the state government in the budget session and said there was no threat to the government. 

The Shiv Sena, which had earlier said the government was on a notice period in the run-up to the BMC polls, is not expected to play a spoilsport after the BJP’s decision to drop from the BMC mayoral polls.

The government, which will present the annual budget for 2017-18 on 18 March, faces a tough task to present the budget, especially when the demonetisation has reportedly resulted in a fall in revenue by Rs 1,000 crores.

State finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar, in his budget for 2016-17, had projected revenue deficit of Rs 3,644 crore.