Describing the start of disbursal of loan waiver amount to farmers in Maharashtra a "moment of great joy", senior minister Diwakar Raote today said the Shiv Sena, his party, however, wanted a complete loan waiver.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today announced release of Rs 4,000 crore as part of the BJP-led state government's loan waiver package of over Rs 34,000 crore.
"It is definitely a moment of great joy. I want to congratulate the chief minister for showing the courage to implement the country's biggest loan waiver scheme," the Minister for Public Transport said.
Raote was speaking at an event here to launch payment of loan waiver amount into farmers' bank accounts.
"The Shiv Sena has been insisting on a complete waiver. But despite the state's fiscal situation being grim, the limit for loan waiver was raised to Rs 1.50 lakh from Rs 1 lakh on Sena's demand. That is another reason why one should congratulate the chief minister," Raote added.
His party would request the chief minister to make the waiver scheme applicable to loans taken in 2017 too, instead of limiting it to loans taken till 2016, Raote said.
Another demand the Sena would make, he said, was that agricultural loans taken by women farmers be considered separately from the loans taken by other members of the family, and these loans be waived separately, Raote said.
He also appealed farmers to report cases of bogus claims for loan waiver.
Senior BJP leader and finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar took a swipe at those criticising the loan waiver scheme, saying that "some people" are "trying to poison the atmosphere and create unnecessary hurdles".
Contrary to allegations, funds allocated for the Social Justice Department have not been diverted for the loan waiver scheme, Mungantiwar asserted.
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