For the next kharif season, farmers in Maharashtra will be eligible for crop loans of up to Rs 3 lakh at the rate of 6 per cent, which is 1 percentage point lower than the rate announced by the central government, said state Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh said last Friday. |
Speaking at the state assembly on the subject of farmers' suicides Deshmukh said, "If a farmer repays the loan on time, he will get an additional subsidy of 2 per cent in the interest rate and state will bare the cost of giving loans to farmers at subsidised rate." |
Co-operative banks have been instructed not levy penal interest on farmers who have defaulted on loan payments, Deshmukh added. |
Deshmukh told the House that the state government was also considering concessions on electricity bills to farmers in six districts of Vidarbha, where suicide rate among farmers was the highest. The state will take the responsibility of loans of cotton farmers and has already allocated Rs 179 crore for the purpose. |
Besides financial relief, the state government is trying to uplift the morale of farmers by organising social events like prayer meetings, plays, talks by experts etc, Deshmukh added. |
PTI adds: Four farmers commit ted suicide in Maharashtra. Three debt-ridden farmers of Buldana district and one from Washim district in Maharashtra committed suicide in the past 48 hours due to crop failure, police said. 35-year old Tejrao Maroti Sawang of Rohna village in bordering Buldana district has committed suicide by hanging from a tree near the village. |
In a separate incident, Bidrinath Rangnath Bangale (35) of Singaon Jahangir (Buldana) also ended his live by hanging from a tree on his field. |
The extend of their debt was not immediately known. Sarjerao Kundlikrao Deshmukh (40) of Raheri village in Buldana district committed suicide by consuming poison as he was unable to repay his a loan of about Rs 30,000. |
In the fourth incident in bordering Washim district, 45-year old Dinkar Sakharam Garde, burdened by a loan of Rs 55,000, committed suicide by hanging at Gobhni village, police said. |