Centre to respond on PIL seeking loan waiver for Maha emu farmers

The Centre is expected to tell the Bombay High Court early next week of its decision regarding giving relief to emu farmers in Maharashtra who are facing huge financial losses.
A public interest litigation has been filed seeking waiver of loans alongwith interest for emu farmers who have suffered huge losses in Maharashtra. It has also sought direction restraining the respondents including National Bank for Agriculture and Rurul Development and other banks from taking coercive steps to recover the loans.
According to the petition, the emu farming scheme was introduced by the Ministry of Agriculture without detailed research about the saleable value of the bird and creating markets for the same. It was NABARD’s report which said emu farming was a bankable project and hence banks may grant loans to farmers for the business.
The petitioners’ advocate Mihir Desai on December 8 told the court that the State government had recommended to the Centre to waive the loans and said a reply from the Centre has said the matter is pending with the Ministry of Finance. The judges then directed the ministries of Finance and Agriculture to file their affidavits in reply and posted the next hearing on January 19, 2015.