Uddhav Thackeray Demands Immediate Farm Loan Waiver and Rs 50,000 Aid for Marathwada Farmers

Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday called on the Maharashtra government to immediately implement a complete farm loan waiver and provide Rs 50,000 per hectare in financial assistance to farmers affected by floods and heavy rains across Marathwada and other regions of the state.

Addressing a press conference, Thackeray urged Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to act swiftly. “I request the Chief Minister with folded hands, on behalf of the farmers, to make them debt-free and release assistance of Rs 50,000 per hectare in a time-bound manner. Stop the banks from sending recovery notices to farmers,” he said.

Thackeray criticized the government for its delayed response, noting that the current aid of Rs 7,000-8,000 per hectare is insufficient to revive farmlands rendered uncultivable. He stressed that the government must announce a complete loan waiver to prevent farmers from falling deeper into debt.

Highlighting previous shortcomings, Thackeray said, “Farmers have not received the Rs 14,000 crore aid announced over the past two to three years. Even the 2017 loan waiver under the earlier Fadnavis government was not implemented. Maharashtra should follow Punjab’s example and provide Rs 50,000 per hectare to compensate for this year’s losses.”

Recalling his tenure as Chief Minister, Thackeray added, “During crises, we never remained idle. Our government had implemented a farm loan waiver immediately after assuming office in 2019. Seeking justice for farmers is not politics; it is a duty.”

Thackeray also highlighted the human cost of the ongoing crisis, sharing, “Every day, there are reports of suicides. In Marathwada, I visited a home where a 31-year-old farmer, with a 15-day-old baby, ended his life due to a debt of Rs 2 lakh.”

He accused CM Fadnavis of dismissing farmers’ grievances during his recent visit to a village. “When a farmer asked for relief, he was told, ‘don’t do politics,’ and later faced harassment by the police. What kind of democracy is this? Why chase a distressed farmer instead of helping him?” Thackeray asked.