Mumbai, June 21 (IANS) Emphasising a commitment to productive governance over political posturing, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday highlighted substantial financial relief measures, structural agricultural reforms and transparency regarding national competitive examinations.

Addressing a press conference after the Cabinet meeting and the customary meeting hosted by him on Sunday on the eve of the three-week monsoon session beginning on Monday, the Chief Minister said the government was ready to handle floor debates, prioritising public infrastructure, farmer welfare and legal safety nets over parliamentary disruptions.

CM Fadnavis, who was accompanied by Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar, criticised the opposition’s move to boycott the customary tea meeting and accused it of sending a stereotyped letter to the government without mentioning any new issues.

CM Fadnavis strongly defended the government’s Rs 36,585 crore crop loan waiver scheme, saying that it was launched without any electoral considerations.

He claimed that the crop loan waiver scheme was introduced to help farmers continue farming without any hassles.

He added that the mega farm loan waiver scheme is expected to benefit roughly 56 lakh farmers across the state.

He said that defaulted crop loans and restructured non-performing asset (NPA) accounts between 2019 and 2025 would be completely waived up to Rs 2 lakh per farmer, without any landholding criteria.

Cultivators who have regularly repaid their crop loans on time over the last three years will receive a financial incentive of Rs 50,000.

He admitted that El Nino has posed challenges, but said the government has taken a slew of mitigation measures.

He also appealed to farmers not to rush into sowing operations, as there are likely to be scattered rains until the end of June or early July.

The Chief Minister said Maharashtra has received substantial support and financial assistance from the Central Government to implement structural schemes, ensuring that the state has the necessary backing to execute them effectively.

CM Fadnavis said that a total of 10 crucial legislative bills would be introduced during the session, reflecting recommendations initially made by renowned agricultural scientist M.S. Swaminathan and prominent scientist Soumya Swaminathan during past joint legislative consultative frameworks.

Among the key features of these bills is a provision granting independent legal status to women farmers.

The proposed legal framework would ensure that women co-own agricultural land titles and can directly access institutional credit, independent subsidies and government benefits.

In addition to the new bills, one pending bill currently stalled in the Legislative Council will be tabled for consideration.

Addressing concerns surrounding national entrance examinations, the Chief Minister asserted that the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) was conducted smoothly and without any technical or systemic flaws in Maharashtra.

He said the state machinery had taken extensive preventive measures to eliminate malpractices, ensuring that the interests of genuine medical aspirants were protected.

Setting a stern but collaborative tone for the three-week Assembly session, the Chief Minister said the government’s top priority was protecting the interests of common citizens.

“Our fundamental effort is rooted in active dialogue. We stand entirely ready to reply to any constructive legislative query. However, if the Opposition chooses to play politics, they will receive a matching political reply. If they bring forward social matters, they will receive a reasoned social reply,” he said.

Meanwhile, the opposition justified its decision to boycott the Chief Minister’s tea meeting, citing the government’s failure on key issues.

–IANS

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