Pune: NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar began an indefinite hunger strike in the holy town of Pandharpur on Friday, demanding that the state govt grant an unconditional loan waiver to all farmers across Maharashtra.While the opposition and various farmers’ outfits have raised objections to the current relief plan, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis defended the decision, asserting that over 40 lakh farmers will benefit from the waiver without any terms and conditions.Addressing the growing criticism, the chief minister stated that a high-level sub-committee has been formed to oversee the rollout. “Along with myself, both deputy chief ministers and several other ministers are part of this sub-committee. We will closely monitor the implementation once it begins and resolve any challenges that arise,” Fadnavis said.However, Rohit Pawar, speaking from the protest site, accused the govt of “playing with the lives of farmers.” He argued that the official announcements do not reflect the reality of the scheme.“The govt is projecting a loan waiver of up to Rs2 lakh, but the reality is that many farmers will not be eligible for that level of relief,” Pawar claimed. “A specific condition has been included: farmers who benefited from the 2019 loan waiver will only be eligible for a relief of Rs50,000 this time. Since nearly 48 lakh farmers received benefits in 2019, the majority will be excluded from the Rs2 lakh bracket. We demand that the govt remove this clause immediately.”Responding to these allegations, Fadnavis said that the cap was a necessary fiscal measure. “We have introduced a condition specifically for those who have consistently availed themselves of waiver benefits. They will receive a fixed waiver amount and must then clear their remaining dues. If we do not take this step, it will have a severe adverse impact on the state’s banking system,” the chief minister stated.
