Loan waiver protests sweep M’wada; farmers block highway, burn tyres

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Farmers and organisations representing them, while demanding a blanket farm loan waiver and immediate availability of agricultural inputs, on Thursday intensified their protest across the Marathwada region, including Beed, Hingoli and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.

Protesters also burnt copies of the state’s recently announced loan waiver government resolution (GR), blocked highways by burning tyres and even reached the district collector’s office in bullock carts to register their opposition to what they termed a “deceptive” debt relief scheme.

In Beed district, farmers affiliated with the All India Kisan Sabha burnt copies of the GR at Loni Phata, alleging that the scheme was designed to facilitate loan recovery rather than provide genuine relief to the debt-ridden farmers.

Raising slogans against the BJP-led Mahayuti government, protesters claimed the announcement was misleading and failed to address the core issues of the farmers. Kisan Sabha’s Arun Mate alleged that a majority of farmers would be excluded from the benefits due to restrictive conditions attached to the scheme.

According to him, farmers who had previously availed of loan waiver benefits would not be eligible for relief up to Rs 2 lakh under the current GR. Mate further claimed that chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had promised a blanket loan waiver, but the govt had restricted relief to loans up to Rs 2 lakh.

“Farmers with outstanding loans above that limit would first have to clear the excess amount before becoming eligible for benefits. The incentive component of Rs50,000, claiming that farmers would have to deposit amounts exceeding Rs 50,000 in their loan accounts before becoming eligible,” he said.

Meanwhile, in Hingoli district, members of the Krantikari Shetkari Sanghatana staged a rasta roko agitation on the Jintur-Kanergaon Naka road. The protesters burnt tyres on the highway and blocked movement of traffic for nearly two hours.

The organisation alleged that the govt’s loan waiver scheme was “fraudulent” and accused the authorities of failing to ensure adequate availability of fertilisers and seeds.

Farmers said the shortage of DAP fertiliser had created severe difficulties during the sowing season, forcing many cultivators to purchase agricultural inputs at inflated prices. The protesters also highlighted delays in subsidy instalments under the rural housing scheme, claiming that beneficiaries were struggling to complete construction of their homes due to pending payments.

In Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar city, farmers adopted a symbolic form of protest by travelling in bullock carts to the district collector’s office and submitting their demands. The protesters sought a blanket farm loan waiver, adequate supply of seeds and fertilisers, fair prices for agricultural produce and effective implementation of crop insurance schemes.