MUMBAI: The special taskforce appointed by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to address the prevailing agrarian crisis in the state has urged him to cover all farmers from suicide-prone Marathwada and Vidarbha regions for loan waiver, irrespective of their land holding.
"All farmers of the region should be covered for loan waiver without any condition of land holding," Kishor Tiwari, Chairman of the taskforce, said in a letter addressed to Fadnavis.
He said if that is not possible, then the land holding limit should be up to 5 hectares for dry land farmers and 2 hectares for those who have irrigated land holding.
"This will help most of the distressed farmers of Vidarbha and Marathwada, who are in deep trouble and also keep rich farmers out of the loan waiver scheme," Tiwari said.
He added that when farm loan waiver was given by the UPA government in 2008-09, most of its benefits were taken away by rich farmers and banks to clear their NPAs.
He also said those farmers who regularly repay their loans should be given incentives.