Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the finance secretary will study UP's debt waiver.
The Maharashtra government has decided to study Uttar Pradesh's model of loan waiver for farmers, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said today in the state assembly. This comes amid demands from various political parties to help Maharashtra's distressed farmers.
"We will study how Uttar Pradesh will raise such a huge amount," Mr Fadnavis said, referring to the UP government's decision to waive off farm loans worth nearly Rs 40,000 crore. He added that the Maharashtra finance secretary has been directed to look into the debt waiver.
"We have asked the Centre for financial assistance. If we don't get help from the Centre, we are working on how a loan waiver can be granted," Mr Fadnavis added.
The Maharashtra chief minister, however, also criticised the opposition parties of Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party for staying away from the House, in the name of 'Sangharsh Yatra'.
"The (Shiv) Sena and BJP members' sentiments regarding farm loan waiver are genuine," Mr Fadnavis said.
The issue of farm loan waiver was raised by BJP and Shiv Sena legislators earlier after the assembly session reconvened after a three-day break.
"If UP can make a provision of Rs 36,000 crore to waive loans up to Rs 1 lakh, why can't Maharashtra do the same," asked Shiv Sena's Shamburaje Desai.
"The UP government did not wait for the Centre's help," he added.
Another Shiv Sena legislator Subhas Sabne said that farmers in Parbhani may go on strike from June 1 by not sowing kharif crops.
"If farmers strike, should we eat 'dhatura' (poisonous thorn apple)," said Mr Sabne.
(with inputs from PTI)