MUMBAI: The Shiv Sena today hit out at the BJP-led Maharashtra government over "hasty" implementation of the Rs 34,022 crore loan waiver scheme for farmers, alleging it has increased their miseries instead of providing relief.
An editorial in Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' said, "The government rushed to seek credit for loan waiver implementation, which has now backfired. It is a classic example of how haste spoils crucial decisions like this and how common people suffer due to it."
"The whole exercise of loan waiver implementation has, in fact, increased the miseries of farmers instead of providing relief to them," the Sena, which is a part of the ruling alliance in Maharashtra, alleged.
The Uddhav Thackeray-led party was often at loggerheads with the BJP and has been vocal in criticising the Modi government.
"Loan waiver has been a life or death situation for farmers, but the ruling government tried to seek credit over it," the 'Saamana' editorial said.
Recently, the Maharashtra government released Rs 4,000 crore under the first phase of the Rs 34,022 crore farm loan waiver scheme.
The Sena asked if the state government insisted on online registration of farmers, then how come "technical errors"
occurred while finalising the list of beneficiaries.
"It shows poor preparation by the state administration before implementing such a big decision," it said.
The Sena said the government had claimed that farm loan up to Rs 1.50 lakh will be waived, then how come farmers got certificates of waiving of only Rs 10,000.
"Is it not a cruel joke on farmers' plight," it asked.
Sena also alleged that the departments involved in the implementation of the scheme are not accepting their mistakes, which has increased the farmers' woes.