Pune: MVA members and farmer activists warned of a statewide agitation over the plight of tillers. They accused the state govt of rubbing salt on their wounds by delaying the implementation of the farm loan waiver scheme.The opposition and farmer activists claimed that they were to attend a meeting with Maharashtra Institution for Transformation (MITRA) CEO Pravin Pardeshi, who headed the committee that submitted a report on farm loan waiver, but it was called off at the last minute.NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar, who sat on a hunger strike in Pandharpur for withdrawal of all conditions for the farm loan waiver, on Wednesday, said, “The meeting with Pardeshi was to discuss some conditions in the farm loan waiver scheme that will deny benefits to many farmers. However, it was cancelled without a proper reason. It shows how serious govt is on resolving farmers’ issues.”The state govt had announced the implementation of a farm loan waiver scheme before June 30, which later shifted to July 5. However, govt missed the second deadline too.NCP (SP) working president Supriya Sule said by now the scheme should have rolled out but govt has cheated farmers. “It makes hollow promises but fails to fulfil them,” she added.State Congress chief Harshwardhan Sapkal said, “Farmers are facing huge losses due to a series of natural calamities but govt is delaying the implementation of the farm loan waiver. The opposition will force govt to implement the scheme without any conditions.”
