Newly-Appointed Maharashtra CM Promises Concrete Assistance to Farmers and Farm Loan Waiver

The newly appointed Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray while taking oath on Thursday (28 November 2019) said that his government will ensure concrete assistance to the state's farmers and promised to work towards creating an atmosphere wherein no one will feel terrorized.

The Chief Minister chaired the first meeting of the new cabinet at Sahyadri Guest House in south Mumbai after swearing-in at a ceremony at the sprawling Shivaji Park.

Thackeray told reporters after the meeting that “We can paint a better picture if we know the reality. We have sought inputs. Farmers have not got anything, but only assurances. We want to provide concrete help to farmers".

In addition, Thackeray has asked officials, including the state’s chief secretary, to give him complete information on state and central schemes for farmers within the next two days. “Once I get all the details, I will take a decision accordingly,” he said in front of the media.

Farmers form a key part of the Common Minimum Programme (CMP) of the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress alliance released earlier on Thursday, which said the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government would waive off their loans.

The newly appointed Maharashtra Chief Minister seemed to be focused hugely on farmers and agriculture on the first day of his tenure.

The government has taken some of the important decisions for the farmers of the state. The steps listed in the CMP to benefit farmers include immediate assistance to those suffering due to premature rains and floods, an immediate loan waiver, revision of the crop insurance scheme to ensure immediate compensation to farmers who have lost their crops.

Thackeray also said that the first decision of the cabinet was to approve Rs 20 crore in funds for the conservation of the Raigad Fort, which was the capital of Chhatrapati  Shivaji  Maharaj.