Pandharpur, Correspondent

Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) MLA Rohit Pawar today issued a stern warning to the BJP-led Maharashtra government saying that he will launch a fresh farmers’ agitation from Marathwada on July 4 if the demand for an unconditional farm loan waiver were not accepted.

Although Pawar has temporarily suspended his hunger strike demanding a blanket loan waiver for farmers, he cautioned the movement would be revived if the government fails to make necessary changes to the recently announced loan waiver scheme.

The state government’s loan waiver plan currently covers only farmers with outstanding loans of up to Rs 2 lakh. Farmers with loans exceeding Rs 2 lakh are required to repay the entire amount first before becoming eligible for the waiver benefit. Rohit Pawar has opposed this condition, arguing that financially distressed farmers cannot afford such repayments.

He has instead demanded a comprehensive and unconditional loan waiver for all farmers, along with a complete clearance of debt records. Pawar had launched an indefinite hunger strike in Pandharpur to press for these demands.

Following discussions with Maharashtra minister Girish Mahajan, the NCP (SP) MLA agreed to suspend the protest. Mahajan accepted a memorandum outlining farmers’ concerns and assured that the state government is sensitive to their issues.

He said a meeting with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is expected before the monsoon session of the state legislature begins on June 22. He has urged the government to amend the loan waiver scheme before its implementation deadline of June 30.

Rohit Pawar also proposed that several farmer leaders and opposition representatives be included in the discussions with the Chief Minister. These leaders include Raju Shetty, Ajit Navale, Shashikant Shinde, Harshvardhan Sapkal, Ravikant Tupkar, leaders from the Shiv Sena (UBT), Jayant Patil, and Mahadev Jankar.
He said the proposed meeting should focus on finding a consensus solution to farmers’ debt-related concerns and ensuring that relief measures reach all eligible cultivators without restrictive conditions, he added.

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