After a considerable delay and change of Governments in the State and the Centre, better council prevailed as nearly 21 lakh drought hit formers will get time to repay loans and it is a good news. Had the same decision been taken after BJP Government took charge in 2014, we could have seen light at the end of the tunnel by now. As the position is becoming increasingly bad farmers trade cattle for cash to come out of the trying times. With low demand for cattle the number of sellers are more and the buyers number is dwindling. As the farmers were in precarious position in taking farming work in dry conditions prevailing in Maharashtra, the State Government has no option but to give sufficient time for them to repay loans. If the same situation prevails even after the arrival of monsoon rains then there is no other option but to waive the loans as a one time measure. Presently restructuring is proposed by extending the duration of repayment period and thereby bringing confidence among the farmers. The frustrated farmers are contemplating suicide and that brings bad name to governance in an agricultural country like India.
C.K. Subramaniam
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
