Nagpur, Oct 30 (IANS) Former Minister and Prahar Sanghatana chief Bachchu Kadu, who has launched a protest demanding immediate farm loan waiver, on Thursday said that farmers who are financially capable, who have a government job, a pension or who are businessmen, who have taken up farming only for investment and tax savings, should not be covered while writing off the farm loans.

“With Digital India, it has now become easier for the government to find out the true financial status of everyone. Therefore, the government should find out the needy farmers as soon as possible and provide a loan waiver to them,” he suggested while interacting with the media at the protest site.

The statement comes ahead of Bachchu Kadhu’s meeting with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, slated for this evening in Mumbai, to discuss his charter of demands.

While elaborating his stand on farm loan waiver, Kadu, who is accompanied by various farmers’ organisations at the protest, said that all loans of farmers (needy and non-rich) should be waived off immediately without any conditions.

All farmers, including those paying regular loans, should be given a seven-year grace period.

Along with crop loans, all loans provided for poly houses, shade nets, land improvements and irrigation facilities should also be included in the loan waiver.

According to him, only needy farmers should be identified and given the benefit of the loan waiver, reiterating that this can be done in just five to ten minutes due to ‘Digital India’.

Kadu has demanded that 20 per cent subsidy on the minimum support price (MSP) should be provided to agricultural commodities, a subsidy of Rs 5 lakh should be given to households in rural areas by applying the same criteria as in cities, all expenses from sowing to harvesting should be covered through Maharashtra Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme and Nagpur – Goa Shaktipeeth highway should be cancelled.

He also demanded that the disabled, destitute, widows, women and orphans should be given a monthly honorarium of Rs 6,000, separate policies should be formulated for shepherds and fishermen, and the issue of salaries of Gram Panchayat employees should be resolved permanently.

“For sugarcane, for the year 2025-26, give Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) of Rs 4300 per tonne for 9 per cent recovery and Rs 430 for every one per cent recovery above that. Give the outstanding FRP amount to the farmers. Provide a minimum price of Rs 40 per kg for onion, permanently end the export ban, minimum export price and export tax on onion. The government should pay adequate attention so that onion farmers get a fair price. Give a minimum base rate of Rs 50 to cow’s milk and Rs 65 to buffalo’s milk. Implement FRP and revenue-sharing policies in the milk sector. Take a concrete policy to prevent milk adulteration,” he said while listing out other demands.

Kadu said several farmer leaders and organisations have joined the protest to send a positive message that they are not alone. Further, the gathering of farmers and their organisations at Nagpur is also to make a unanimous appeal to the farmers not to commit suicide.

“We expect a solution during the meeting with the chief minister this evening. If it is not found, then we will decide the future course of our protest after returning to Nagpur,” he announced.

On Wednesday, CM Fadnavis asserted that the loan waiver for farmers is under consideration, and the “government has never said it won’t write off farm loans”.

–IANS

sj/svn