MUMBAI: The Maharashtra government on Thursday released Rs 2,500 crore as a Diwali gift to eligible farmers who have paid their loans on time. The 7 lakh beneficiary farmers will receive Rs 50,000 each as an incentive for timely payment of their crop loan.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said that Maharashtra is the first state to deposit money directly into the account of the farmers on the occasion of Diwali. He added that farmers should not get tired due to the damage caused to their crops by the heavy rains during this monsoon season.
“We are committed to helping the farmers,” Shinde said. “We have decided to give an incentive amount to the farmers who make regular repayments of their crop loan. We had earlier assured farmers that they would get their money without any delay. Today, it has been released and money has been deposited in the bank accounts of 6.90 lakh farmers. This decision will add a sweet touch to their Diwali celebrations,” he added.
The erstwhile Uddhav Thackeray government, under the Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Shetkari Debt Relief Scheme (MJPSDRS), had waived chronic defaulter farmers’ loans up to `2 lakh each, but at the same time, had also announced Rs 50,000 incentive to farmers who had repaid their crop loan on time.
Shinde on Thursday released Rs 2,500 crore and paid Rs 50,000 each to the eligible farmers time. The government deposited Rs 2,500 crore in the accounts of 6.90 lakh farmers. The chief minister added that the government is also concerned about farmers whose crops got damaged in the returning monsoon.
“We have taken decisions to give relief to farmers. The relief amount has been doubled under the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) norms. We have also increased compensation for three hectares
of damaged crops against the earlier provision of two acres only. We are committed to helping the farmers. We have directed to make the panchnama immediately and provide assistance to them,” Shinde added.
He also said that the state government is approving the stalled irrigation projects in an effort to bring maximum land under irrigation.