Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar (NCP-SP) legislator Jayant Patil urged the Maharashtra government not to mislead women with the Maharashtra Women Farmers Empowerment Bill. He emphasized the need for women’s names to be included in land documents and for 50% of land owned by husbands to be transferred to their wives.
Patil criticized the Bill, questioning if financial institutions would offer collateral-free loans to women farmers and what security measures would be required. He highlighted the importance of officially recognizing women as farmers to ensure their access to benefits and services.
The proposed legislation includes the formation of committees led by key officials, but Patil suggested streamlining the process by having a single committee under the Agriculture Minister. Other legislators also raised concerns about the criteria for defining women farmers and the allocation of land, urging clarity on these issues.
