28 Oct : Maharashtra Government is looking at a Rs 5,000 crore scheme to reward honest farmers who are prompt and regular in paying loans.
"We have discussed this issue last week which would cost the exchequer Rs 5,000 crore and benefit about 26 lakh farmers if a decision is taken," Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh said.
The discussion follows a demand from honest farmers who felt that they should not be penalized for being prompt in repayment of loans, he said. The farmers felt only defaulters were to benefit from loan waiver scheme they too would be left with no alternative but to become one, he said.
The Government has not taken a decision so far but would meet again to take a view on it after going into financial implication of the proposal, he said.He also claimed suicides among farmers was on the decline.
On two packages announced by the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister to alleviate the sufferings of farmers in drought prone Vidarbha and Marathawada, Deshmukh said the implementation was almost complete.
"Narendra Jadhav Committee appointed to review the PM and CM packages has said that 90 per cent of the work is completed."The committee has also recommended that special attention should be given to some areas, he added.