Bank notices being issued to farmers in Maharashtra for loan recovery amid lack of rainfall in the state must stop, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) said on Thursday.
Sharad Pawar-led party's spokesperson Mahesh Tapase questioned the silence of the Eknath Shinde government and demanded that it act immediately to provide relief to farmers. Both June and July witnessed a deficiency in expected rainfall, and August rainfall is below the average by approximately 68 per cent. Between August 1 and 18, the rainfall has been a staggering 80 percent less than the historical average across all divisions, the NCP leader pointed out.
This has had a devastating impact on crops and there was need for affected farmers to access crop insurance benefits, he said. Farmers are grappling with below-average rainfall this year and banks are sending notices for loan recovery, which is increasing the woes of cultivators, Tapase said. It is disheartening to witness the anti-farmer stance of the present government. Inadequate rainfall has already taken a toll on the agricultural sector, and the issuance of loan recovery notices adds insult to injury,'' he said.
The state government must intervene swiftly and annul these bank notices, he said, adding that his party stood in solidarity with the farmers and would not hesitate to take robust measures if their suffering is not alleviated.