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After 5-month wait, farm loans waiver begins in Maharashtra (Lead)
Mumbai, Oct 18 (IANS) Nearly five months after announcing waiver of farm loans, the Maharashtra government kickstarted the process on Wednesday as “Diwali gift” to the state’s farmers. Rs 4,000 crore will be distributed among 840,000 beneficiaries in the first phase of the massive Rs 34,000-crore scheme.
At a function, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis launched a portal in which the names of the beneficiary farmers were uploaded which will be sent to the banks.
From a single bank account, the money would be transferred to various banks, which in turn would deposit the pre-defined amounts in the individual farmers’ accounts as per the list, he said.
“We have released today (Wednesday) an amount of Rs 4,000 crore, of which Rs 3,200 crore will go towards loan waivers of 462,000 farmers and the rest Rs 800 crore would be paid as incentives to 378,000 farmers who have been repaying their loans on time,” Fadnavis said.
He assured that payments funds under the Chhatrapati Shivaji Shetkari Sanman Yojana would be a continuous process till every eligible farmer was benefited, and by November 15 around 75 per cent of disbursals would be completed.
According to Fadnavis, government employees who also earn income from agricultural activities, legislators and others who are regular income tax payers have been exempted from the scheme.
However, the Chief Minister made it clear that loan waiver was not the sole solution to farmers’ problems and reiterated that continuous investment in the agricultural sector for the next five years would enable sustainable development besides reducing distress in farms.
“Our aim was to help those farmers, who had stepped outside the institutional credit systems, return to the system so that they don’t get stuck in the debt-trap of private money-lenders, and also ensure they can avail fresh loans from financial institutions, earn profits and repay them,” Fadnavis explained.
Detailing schemes for the farmers, he said the investments amounting to Rs 21,000 crore in 2011-2012 had now increased three-fold and stood at around Rs 63,000 crore in the agriculture sector.
Besides, schemes like the Jalyukt Shivar water conservation initiative contributed to ensure a growth rate of up to 12 per cent in the agriculture sector, which was ensuring production worth over Rs 40,000 crore in actual terms, he said.
Fadnavis said farmlands had been experiencing many problems for the past few years, resulting in negative growth and that was the reason the government looked at options beyond relief and rehabilitation.
The Chief Minister admitted that he was initially apprehensive about the additional financial burden of the loans waiver scheme on the state exchequer, but with the help of Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar, the government finally managed the herculean task.
On June 24, the state government had announced a massive Rs 34,022 crore relief package for the farmers, days after an unprecedented 11-day strike by the farming community in the state shook the ruling establishment.
Under the scheme, the total number of beneficiaries were estimated to be around 8.90 million, but now it is expected that over four million, mostly small and medium farmers, shall become completely debt-free, becoming eligible to avail fresh bank loans.
–IANS
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Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.
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