Mumbai: The state govt will move a bill in the monsoon session to formally recognise women as farmers, CM Devendra Fadnavis said on Sunday.He said it was noted scientist Dr Soumya Swaminathan who had, during a session conducted for legislators, proposed that govt frame a legislation granting legal status to women as farmers.“When surveys are conducted, it is found that women form the majority workforce in farm work. But since they have no legal status or do not have farmland in their names, they are not considered farmers. Dr Soumya Swamninathan had made a presentation to us on how granting legal status to women farmers will benefit them. A bill will be brought that will give them legal status as farmers,” Fadnavis told reporters on the eve of the monsoon session at the Sahyadri state guesthouse.The Women Farmers Entitlement Bill will formally register women as farmers enabling them to obtain land title, govt scheme benefits linked to land ownership and access bank finance.Fadnavis said nine other legislative bills will be brought for consideration during the session. One of them, he said, has been pending before the legislative council for approval.On opposition parties boycotting the customary tea party, he said had they attended, there could have been discussions on issues. Instead, the opposition sent a six-page letter, which he alleged was AI generated.On loan waiver for farmers, Fadnavis said it was announced when there were no elections. “For us, it is not a poll issue, but we do it to make farmers stronger. Waivers do not make farmers richer, but we have to do it to bring farmers into the net of lending. We had formed a committee to finalise the waiver. This will be the biggest loan waiver of Rs 36,585 crore, which will benefit 56 lakh farmers.”He said Balasaheb Thackeray’s legacy is his ideology and those who follow it have joined Eknath Shinde, who is carrying this ideology forward. Fadnavis said there was a need for introspection, which Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray did not do. On Sena (UBT) MP Omraje Nimbalkar joining Shinde, he said the operation was successful.
