Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee President Harshwardhan Sapkal criticized the loan waiver scheme introduced by the BJP-led Mahayuti government, calling it a facade. Sapkal alleged that over 50% of farmers were intentionally excluded from the scheme due to complex rules and conditions, terming it a cruel mockery of the farming community. He demanded the government to clear the land records of all farmers in the state.
Sapkal highlighted that the waiver only applies to farmers with overdue accounts who received loans between April 1, 2019, and March 31, 2025, leaving out many farmers who had loans prior to this period. As a result, these farmers are ineligible for new crop loans, depriving them of the scheme’s benefits. He emphasized the need to extend the loan waiver to all overdue farmers for fairness.
The Congress leader further criticized the government for limiting the scheme to crop and restructured loans, excluding farmers who borrowed for purposes like well-digging and cattle purchase. He accused the BJP government of being anti-farmer and aiming to exclude a maximum number of farmers from the scheme. Sapkal also noted that even farmers who regularly repay loans have been neglected under the current scheme.
